


A Collection of My Favorite Songs

by LateNightLurker



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alastor and Charlie are in a relationship, Alastor gets drugged, Angel is an ass, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Asexual Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Unplanned Pregnancy (Charlie), Yes the chapter titles are related to songs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:20:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 63,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22768429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LateNightLurker/pseuds/LateNightLurker
Summary: Alastor and Charlie have been dating for about a year now, and Charlie couldn't be happier about their relationship.....well, except for the lack of physical intimacy in the bedroom. Good thing her pal (and self-appointed sex therapist) Angel Dust has concocted a plan that might solve his friend's bedroom dilemma. Buckle up sinners, because this is going to be a long and bumpy journey.
Relationships: Alastor/Charlie Magne
Comments: 276
Kudos: 425





	1. A Little Less Conservation, A Little More Action Please

**Author's Note:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

Charlie let out a loud moan of approval as the Radio Demon’s tentacles from another dimension held her limbs in place, while a particularly thick tentacle pumped in and out of her core. Another tentacle slithered up from below and quickly occupied her mouth.

“Wouldn’t want the rest of the hotel listening in now would we darling?” Spoke her handsome deer-like demon sitting next to her on the bed.

She glared at him for barely a second before the tentacle between her legs surged deeper into her body. She swore that it grew a little thicker too. Alastor’s wicked smirk grew at observing his girlfriend’s predicament. And based on her body language, to say that she wasn’t enjoying this too would be a lie. She loved their time in the bedroom together ….but as of recently she craved more from him.

She suddenly felt the familiar sensation of tingles running up her spine and her pelvic muscles tightening. She guessed Alastor could sense her orgasm approaching too. The antlered demon grasped her jaw and made her turn and look at him.

“Now let go Charlie.”

And that’s exactly what she did. The tension in her muscles unwound into a rhythmic pulse starting from her core and ending down into her curling toes. She released a muffled scream around the black tentacle while her observing lover seemed quite pleased with himself. As she was coming down from her high the tentacles released their hold on her and left her body; slithering back to whatever dimension they came from.

“Come here you sweet messy girl.”

She soon found herself embraced by a pair of thin but strong arms as she rested her head on her boyfriend’s chest. He lovingly brushed her messy blonde hair out of her face; just holding her close and enjoying this moment. Oh, how she entertained him! But the moment was quickly cut short when the demoness in his arms asked, “When will you let me please you?”

“Darling, we’ve already talked about this. Just seeing the faces and sounds you make is pleasing enough for me.”

“I know,” she spoke while nuzzling into his chest, “but I just feel so bad being the only one getting off and you only watching. And I know it’s not what most other couples do- “

“Who cares what most other couples do in their bedrooms?” He said. “What goes on in this bedroom should be about what we like to do.”

“I know Al, but I’ve been craving a little more…”

“How so?” He questioned.

“I enjoy the orgasms that you give me, but I want to touch you. I want you to touch me. I want to kiss you and actually hold you and be a part of what I’m feeling.” At this point she was sitting up on the bed as she looked into his red eyes. Tears were welling up in her eyes as she was blabbering her frustrations. “I want to run my hands through your hair and for you to hug me and squeeze me. Kiss every inch of my skin. Leave trails of bite marks and hickies.”

“Charlie…”

“I want to give you orgasms too. We’ve been dating for over a year now and I still have only seen you from the waist up.” She glanced down at her own naked body. “It just doesn’t seem fair. You give me all this love and attention, but I can’t do the same for you? Do you find me repulsive?”

He gently grasped her chin and made her look up at him. When their eyes met, she spoke in a soft voice, “When will you let me make love to you?”

That tugged at the red demon’s heartstrings. And Charlie was a little surprised when she felt his arms around her again.

“One of these days my lovely demon belle.” He said while tenderly brushing his fingers up and down her back in an effort to comfort her. “You have to understand that for decades I’ve never been interested in having a partner, or even sex. To this day, even the thought of sex repulses me.” He continued quickly before she could get even more upset. “But you must know that I don’t find you repulsive at all my dear. I actually adore making you squirm and all of the cute little sounds and faces you make. It fills me with joy having that much power over you with one little kiss or touch. You don’t know how much I want to give you what you want.” He pulled away from her and looked sincerely into her big, dark eyes. Brushing away a few stray tears as he spoke. “All I ask is that you give me a little more time and keep being patient my love. We’ll get there one of these days. For now, can you smile for me? I don’t like seeing my favorite dame crying.”

She nodded in agreement and smiled as instructed as she said, “I’ll wait until you’re ready Alastor.”

“Now there’s my gorgeous smiling girl.” He said as they embraced in another hug.

“But you do smell a little ripe my dear.” Charlie immediately blushed at his words and quickly drew away.

He chuckled at her sudden embarrassment. “Go wash up and I’ll be back with some pajamas and your favorite snacks when you get done.” He lovingly kissed her cheek before getting up and teleporting out of the room.

+++++++++++++++

“Well that sounds like an absolute boring night.” Spoke the lounging spider demon holding a popsicle in one of his four hands. “Except for the tentacle part. Now that was kinda hot.”

“Ugghh. Why do I even disclose this stuff to you anymore? Alastor and I have been doing a great job working through things as a couple now. And for a matter of fact, it was a nice night full of communication and cheesy popcorn. Now if you want to be of some sort of help stop eating and start helping me with inventory. Or better yet, go help Nifty clean the bathrooms. Lily and Vaggie’s engagement party is tonight and we still have so much to do.”

It had been over three years since Charlie and Vaggie had parted on mutual terms. The breakup was neither one’s fault. Their relationship had run its course and they drifted apart over time. Vaggie moved out shortly after the breakup; even though Charlie insisted that Vaggie would always have a home and friends at the hotel. After a year focusing on themselves Vaggie started dating a sweet sinner named Lily; and over a year later Alastor and Charlie admitted their feelings for each other.

It had been about two weeks since Lily and Vaggie announced their engagement, and Charlie could not be happier for her friends. She insisted that she would throw them an engagement party rent-free at the hotel. And after plenty of party planning with the two brides-to-be the day was finally here. She was currently walking around the kitchen with a clipboard in hand, surrounded by chefs and cooks that owed Alastor a favor. She was quite happy that her boyfriend/business partner was willing to help with the party tonight.

“As your friend and sex therapist- “

“You are not my sex therapist.” Charlie retorted.

“As your friend and ‘self-appointed’ sex therapist,” he continued as Charlie scoffed and rolled her eyes, “I say you aren’t making much progress.”

“Any movement forward is progress.”

“It’s not if he isn’t making these movements.” Which he then proceeded to demonstrate what he meant by making vulgar hip thrusts into the air.

“Jeez knock it off Angel.” She said as she swatted him with her clipboard.

“Look,” she stated, “it was nice that you were there for me as a friend when I was upset and frustrated and needed a safe space to vent for the last few months. But now I feel a little more okay about my relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I still want more from him, but I don’t want to push him or make him feel uncomfortable. Some things just take time.”

“Okay, okay. I understand toots. I just want my friends to be happy that’s all.”

“Thank you, Angel.”

“Hey, it’s no problem. Now what’s left on that list? I can go make a food run while I’m out.”

“It’s just a few things for the appetizers.” She said as she handed him the list.

As he scanned down the list something caught his eye.

“Hey, why does it say, ‘ _NO BOOZE_ ’? ‘ _Angel I mean it NO BOOZE!_ ’?” He questioned.

“Vaggie’s request, not mine.” Before he could retort she quickly handed him some cash. “Now go get those ingredients and hurry back quickly.”

Before he walked out of the kitchen she called out from behind. “Thank you for helping Angel but I mean it! No booze!”

“I pinky promise that it will only be the grocery store and back!” He shouted. And with that he exited out of the hotel, down the sidewalk, and headed not in the direction of the grocery store.


	2. Grime Oblivion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

“What’s shakin’ sugar tits?” Questioned the spider demon as he took a seat on the park bench next to the strawberry blonde cyclopes.

“Nothing much slut. Been kind of boring with more sinners heading to that hotel. Especially since I haven’t seen you in the last three months! Been staying clean?” Cherri Bomb asked her friend. 

“As far as drugs go yes. Men, no.” He answered truthfully.

“What made you change your mind?” She asked, referring to the contents in the purse that he asked her to bring.

“They’re not for me, hun.”

“Oh?” She raised her unibrow.

“Let’s just say they’re for a friend who’s been a bit stressed lately and is having some bedroom issues.” He smirked.

“Well they’re going to have a wicked time with this science experiment of a concoction. Viagra, ecstasy, roofies, and who knows what the fuck else is in there. I wouldn’t want to be within twenty-five miles of the fucker that’s going to take this shit. Does your friend know about your little pharmacy order?” She asked while giving him the purse as he handed her the cash.

“Let’s just say, it’s a surprise.”

+++++++++++++++

“Nifty, how are the bathrooms looking?”

“Absolutely spotless!”

“Angel, how does the food taste?”

“Food-gasm worthy!”

“Husk, how are the virgin daiquiris?”

“Shitty.”

“Not what I wanted to hear, but at least it’s up to par with what Vaggie and Lily wanted.” Charlie replied.

“Why can’t we just use the fucking booze Angel brought in? What’s a party with no alcohol?” Questioned Husk.

“Yes, what a waste indeed.” Responded the sudden materialized form of Alastor.

“You’re agreeing to this?” The blonde asked while she turned to her boyfriend.

“Why wouldn’t I my dear? If we put a price on the hooch, we can earn a fine profit from the party.”

“And piss off Vaggie as a bonus!” Angel chipped in.

“Ugghh, I don’t want to upset Vaggie…., but making a profit off it might not be a bad idea from a business side of things. Plus, after planning this party, the hotel clientele increasing, incoming staff interviews, and the expansion plans for the hotel,” Charlie pondered out loud, “I wouldn’t mind having a drink tonight.”

“I think you earned it doll-face.” Alastor commented while draping an arm over her shoulder.

“Whoo- hoo! We get to drink tonight!” Angel and Husk cheered in unison.

“If we explain our reasoning to Vaggie she would probably be okay with it.” Charlie said unsurely.

+++++++++++++++

“No. No fucking way.” The angry moth girl stated after a quick sip of her supposed-to-be-alcohol-free drink.

“Oh, come on! Don’t get your taco in a twist over a little booze.” Angel quipped.

“Hey, it’s fine babe. Your friends wanted some drinks and it should be fine as long as it doesn’t get out of hand. If you don’t want it, you don’t have to drink it.” Lily said in an attempt to soothe her fiancée’s temper.

“I specifically stated no alcohol.” Vaggie turned away and began to seek out Charlie and Alastor through the crowd of demons and loud music. She spotted the couple by a table, chatting to some hotel residence that stopped by.

“What the hell Charlie?” The angry girl asked.

“Vaggie, if it’s about the alcohol-,” before she could continue her apology a certain smooth-talking demon butted in.

“We’re both so glad you and your fiancée wanted to have your party at the hotel.”

“Shove it you pompous, cheesy, talk-show shitlord!”

“Now is that anyway to talk to the generous hosts of your party? We are letting you use our reception hall rent free, and I don’t think you had to spend a dime on the food, decorations, or music.” He said to the seething girl.

“Babe, we should probably just let it slide.”

“Huh?” Vaggie’s anger turned into confusion as she turned toward her future wife.

“They were nice enough to host and help us plan our party. So, what if they’re making some money back on our celebration? We didn’t pay anything for it……plus I was kind of worried that the party wasn’t going to be as fun without it.”

Vaggie sighed with a defeated look, “Fine. We’ll keep the bar open. But tell Husk and anybody else working the bar that the limit is two drinks per person.” And with that she walked back to the dessert table with Lily.

“I like her fiancée. She seems like a reasonable broad.” Alastor commented as they watched the couple walk away.

“I’m just grateful that the crisis was averted. Imagine if that escalated.”

The crisis with Vaggie may have been defused, but there was another ordeal just beginning to escalate beyond the horizon that no one saw coming. The metaphorical dominoes began to fall as the spider demon took at a small plastic bag from between his chest floof. Dumping the contents of the bag into one of the beverages in front of him. He gave the mixed concoction a good swirl before adding it to the tray with the others.

“Hey, this is swell. Is this one of Husk’s new recipes?” Alastor asked Angel after taking a few sips of his drink. 

“Yeah, this is his first batch of a new series of mixed drinks.” Angel replied as he downed his drink as well.

“I don’t drink very often, but I think this tastes a-maz-inggg!” Charlie exclaimed as she downed quite a bit of her drink.

“Whoa! Easy there doll. That’s a good way to make sure you spend the rest of the night with your head stuck in a toilet bowl. Pace yourself a little.” The red demon warned her.

“Okay, okay. I’ll slow down, but only if you join me out on the dance floor.” She proposed.

“Is it a deal then?”

“Yes.” She replied as she started to feel the effects of the alcohol kicking in. Starting with a fuzzy warmth spreading across her cheeks.

Nobody at the party couldn’t have said that they didn’t have fun. Even Vaggie loosened up a bit and joined the dance floor with Lily and the rest of her guests. The drinks were flowing, the dance floor was alive with demons dancing to the beat, and Charlie wished the night could have gone on forever, that was, until she felt a little woozy on her feet. A pair of black gloved hands helped steady her as she swayed.

“Are you feeling alright dear?”

“I think I drank a little too much.” She claimed as she placed a hand to her head.

“I think you’re a bit zozzled love. Should we call it a night?” He questioned.

“Zozzled what?” She asked.

“Bent. Half under. Drunk.”

“Oh.” She said, feeling a little bad for not understanding him at first.

“We can let the hotel staff take over from here and call it a night.”

They bid their friends a good night and let the rest of the staff know they were leaving early before heading for the hall’s exit doors.

As soon as she flopped down onto her bed Charlie felt instantly a lot better.

“I guess I’m more of a light weight than I thought huh, Al?” But the blonde heard no response. She rolled over and turned to look at him. He was sitting at the edge of the bed, hunched over a bit and seemed as if he was out of breath and he was tugging at his dress shirt collar. What replaced the usual Cheshire cat grin on his face was a grimace. His girlfriend, now feeling quite sobered up, was filled with concern.

“Alastor, is everything okay?”

“I’m kind of glad you wanted to turn in early. I don’t feel so well myself, darling.”

“Did you drink a little too much too?”

“I don’t think so.” He stated. “I’ve lived through Prohibition and downed bootleg much stronger than this.”

“Maybe it was the new drinks at the party?” She asked as she scooted closer to him.

“If it was the new drinks than a lot more people would be feeling ill. Plus are you feeling a bit warm as well?” He asked as he practically ripped his dress shirt off, not caring that a few buttons had been torn from their seams.

The blush across her cheeks deepened and spread further, _Now is not the time to get horny drunk!_ she internally hissed at herself. But against her better judgement she reached out to him. He flinched at first as she unexpectedly placed a hand on his forehead.

“You do feel a bit warm.” And when she had leaned over something caught her attention. Something that wasn’t small. Her asexual, sex-repulsed partner had a boner. Before she could pull away and start stuttering; long, sinewy arms encompassed her and pulled her close. 


	3. Such Horrible Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

He couldn’t stop the awful burn rising into his throat. He lurched forward again as he emptied his stomach contents into the porcelain bowl in front of him. It didn’t help that he was remembering fragments from just a few hours ago.

_His whole body felt so uncomfortably warm. And when she touched him it only stoked the fire inside. She smelled so good. Her hair smelled like her strawberry shampoo, but her lips had tasted even better._

He lurched forward again. Wincing as he felt the sting from the scratch marks that she had raked down his back.

_His groin had felt so painful. Even as a teenager, he never felt the disgusting urge to give into such a physical bodily response. If he could, he would let it pass. But not tonight; and especially not with her being so close to him. Touching him. Smelling so good. Her touch both stoked the flames and was like a cold drink of water to his thirst._

When his body finally stopped retching, he eagerly hopped into the shower. Letting out a low hiss when the cold water hit his back.

_He couldn’t get enough of his little love bird singing for him. The beautiful high notes she hit, the treble lows. All etiquette was thrown out the window. He didn’t want her song to be muffled tonight._

He dumped an absurd amount of soap onto the pink shower luffa.

_He dug his elongated claws into her hips sharply. Every sensation felt amplified. Her voice. His pants. The headboard breaking. Radio static going haywire. A wet squelching sound. Her warm flesh in between his claws and surrounding him. Her strawberry smell mixed with a tinge of something else. Was that blood?_

He began scrubbing the luffa hard into his grey skin. Trying to avoid the scratches and bitemarks as he exfoliated more than necessary.

_He became more erratic in his movements as he felt himself being edged closer and closer to euphoria. He heard the recognizable pitch in her voice that told him she was close too. Antlers and horns elongated. Two pairs of eyes shone red. And blood was drawn from both parties._

_When he had woken up hours later, he felt so many things at once. Physically he felt exhausted, sore, pain originating from his back and shoulders, a dull headache, and overall nauseous. The other things he felt were confusion, worry, violation, and anger. ‘What the hell happened last night? Was his love okay? Why did his body go against his mind and react like that?_

He straightened his bow on his usual attire; preparing to head out and sedate the one emotion that was consuming him most of all.

Anger.

He looked across the room at his darling’s sleeping form. She seemed to be deep in slumber as her chest slowly rose and fell. He took a hesitant step forward towards the demoness but stopped himself. He wanted to both hold her close and run away from her at the same time. He silently teleported himself outside of the hotel; deciding to handle his anger first.

+++++++++++++++

She groggily opened her eyes, feeling warm and contented, until she turned over and she felt as if every inch of skin inside and out from her bellybutton down to the middle of her thighs stung. She pulled the covers off to reveal deep cuts etched into her hips, lower abdomen, and thighs. Her eyes widened as she saw drips and lines of blood were scattered on a good chunk of the bed and pillows. As she examined her situation further, she saw that her headboard had cracks running through it. She lifted her hand to touch the split wood, only to stop and gasp in shock to see that her nails were coated in dry blood. Greyish flesh underneath her nails.

She quickly got out of bed, took a quick shower, delicately wrapped her wounds, and choose to leave her room in one of her ankle-length skirts instead of her usual tight pants, which would have rubbed and irritated her cuts. As she walked down the halls, she noticed how eerily quiet they were for being almost noon. No sight or sound of sinners anywhere. When she entered onto the first floor, she immediately turned into the large reception hall. Everything was scrubbed and cleaned, as if a large party didn’t happen last night.

 _Nifty must have spent this morning cleaning,_ she thought to herself. She then heard a loud snore come from behind the bar. There she saw Husk, passed out and cuddling with a bottle of vodka close to his chest. She reached down and gently shook his shoulder.

“Husk, wake up.”

“Read’ em and weep boys….I’ve got a full house right here,” spoke the sleeping demon.

“Husk wake the hell up!” Charlie yelled and shook him harder.

“Huh?! What?! No, I didn’t cheat!” Yelled the shocked Husk, finally coming out of his dream and looking rather confused.

“Sounds like you were having quite the gambling dream there. Did you win?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He questioned.

“Nothing, nothing at all,” she stated before asking the question that had been on her mind since leaving her suite, “By the way, where is everyone?”

“Beats me. All I remember is doing some shots with Angel and some of his fuck boys before passing out behind the bar around 2 a.m.” He grumbled as he rubbed his head, planning to make some coffee and pop a few Tylenol before spending the rest of the day in bed.

Before she could ask another question, they heard a familiar voice coming from the lobby.

“Now let’s keep this hush-hush boys. Don’t need word getting out that I’m offering my services again.”

“I think it’s common knowledge that you’ve never stopped slut.” They heard a deep male’s voice.

“Oh, ouch my poor fragile heart!” Angel playfully claimed.

“Didn’t know you had one.” Said a different male’s voice.

“And I didn’t know you would be the type to have a prince Albert piercing. Now get out of here, your time is up.” They heard Angel say before hearing the hotel’s large front doors close.

“Now to finally get some sleep.” The spider demon yawned before turning around, finding himself a glaring Charlie in front of him, causing him to jump a little.

“Oh shit! You need to wear a bell or something, you almost made me have a heart attack if that’s possible”

She sighed in disappointment before speaking, “I’ve already had a long morning, so we’re not going to be discussing what I just witnessed right now. But that does not mean you’re off the hook later. We’ll be discussing this in your therapy session on Wednesday.” Charlie stated. One of her rehabilitation strategies at the hotel was everyone had individual therapy once a week and group therapy Friday afternoon.

“Okay, okay. I get it. You’re upset with me about failing again to stay clean,” he said genuinely before smirking and continuing, “but I thought you would be a lot happier this morning. I mean, you and Alastor did leave the party kind of early last night.”

Her cheeks lit up the hue of a tomato, but before she could start stuttering Husk yelled from the reception hall that they should come see what was playing on the news on the hotel bar’s TV.

“We strongly advice all Pentagram City dwellers in the western sector to stay indoors at this time.” Spoke anchorman Tom Trench.

“It’s been a literal blood bath since early this morning,” spoke the deplorable Katie Killjoy, “when the infamous Radio Demon started broadcasting more carnage than usual. At this time, we have no leads as to what sparked this carnage, but rumor has it-“

At that point Charlie turned and headed for the hall’s exit, not wanting to hear anymore, already making up her mind to go search for Alastor.

“Whoa, hold it toots. You think it’s a good idea to head out there right now?” Asked Angel, who had a hold on her arm.

“You think I should just sit back and let him maim unsuspecting demons out there?”

“You want to bring him back to the hotel while he’s super pissed off? What about all of your patients here?” He countered.

“But I don’t think-“

“ Wake up toots, he may have gotten this place up and going, but he doesn’t care about them. You think he would hesitate mauling one that even looks at him funny right now? And what about me? I’m his least favorite person here, it would put an even bigger fucking smile on his face to smear my organs across these walls!”

“Fine! I won’t go searching for him!” She yelled in a huff.

“Look, I don’t know for sure what happened between you two, but whatever couple’s fight happened I think you should let him blow off some steam.”

“The problem is that we didn’t have a fight…... or at least I didn’t think so.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know.” She stated as she took a seat at one of the nearby tables, suddenly letting out a low hiss as the cuts under her bandages stung.

“Whoa! You okay there Charlie? If I wasn’t such an expert in the tramp department, I would say you seem pretty sore. You wanna talk about this ‘fight’ you and our strawberry pimp had?” But his cocky smiled turned to worry when he saw what looked to be a line of blood seeping through the fabric of his friend’s long skirt. The spider demon felt a sharp spike of regret pang through him from the sight.

“Can you bring some more bandages to my room and we talk about this later?”


	4. Bruises & Bitemarks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

She laid awake in his room again, trying to read one of the many books he had from his bookcase in his suite. However, no matter how hard she tried to focus she would always find herself fidgeting with the radio on the bedside table. Tuning in to the broadcasted slaughter before quickly turning it off. He had been gone for a week now, and she wanted nothing more than for him to come back to her. Many times, she almost rejected Angel’s advice, but he persuaded her that Alastor just needed time to think things through before coming back.

She sighed as she discarded the book to the bedside table. Resorting to brushing her fingers through Razzle’s fur instead. The imp purred and cuddled closer to his mistress, while Dazzle was at the foot of the bed keeping her feet warm. Not used to sleeping alone again, Charlie had been letting her imps up on the bed to keep her company. 

_Why did things turn out like this?_ She thought to herself. For the past week she had been reflecting on that night, and not a single memory wasn’t a happy one.

_“Alastor, is everything okay?”_

_“I’m kind of glad you wanted to turn in early. I don’t feel so well myself, darling.”_

_“Did you drink a little too much too?”_

_“I don’t think so.” He stated. “I’ve lived through Prohibition and downed bootleg much stronger than this.”_

_“Maybe it was the new drinks at the party?” She asked as she scooted closer to him._

_“If it was the new drinks than a lot more people would be feeling ill. Plus are you feeling a bit warm as well?” He asked as he practically ripped his dress shirt off, not caring that a few buttons had been torn from their seams._

_The blush across her cheeks deepened and spread further, Now is not the time to get horny drunk! she internally hissed at herself. But against her better judgement she reached out to him. He flinched at first as she unexpectedly placed a hand on his forehead._

_“You do feel a bit warm.” And when she had leaned over something caught her attention. Something that wasn’t small. Her asexual, sex-repulsed partner had a boner. Before she could pull away and start stuttering; long, sinewy arms encompassed her and pulled her close._

_She stared wide-eyed but did not pull away. She reflexively wrapped her arms around his chest, trying to aid in comforting rather than indulging the lewd thoughts surfacing in her mind. They stayed like that for what felt like minutes before Charlie found her voice among the confusion in her alcohol fogged brain._

_“Alastor, you still haven’t answered my question. Are you sure you’re okay?”_

_She thought that when he slightly pulled away that he would tell her that he wanted to lie down and try to sleep it off. Instead she found his lips crashing unexpectedly into hers. His hands running up and down her sides, stopping at her hips and thighs to squeeze the round flesh and pull her closer. She felt caught off guard by the sudden attack. A part of her mind wanted to pull away from him, she wasn’t used to or expecting this behavior from him. That small part of her mind screamed at her that this wasn’t right, just last night he stated that he didn’t feel ready yet. But that small voice was immediately silenced by the sexual and emotional frustration that had been building up within her for months. She snaked her hands to his hair, tugging on them as she deepened the kiss further._

_Her dress had become a shredded pile of fabric as their make out session became more intense. He was definitely more handsy than he had ever been during their previous make out sessions. His hands would usually only touch her face, her hands, or pretty much anywhere where a normal being wouldn’t consider sexual. But not tonight. She groaned and squeaked as he loomed over her small frame, exploring her body for the first time with his mouth and hands. And there was another big difference too. She could feel against her the large bulge in his dress pants. He let out a low moan as she grasped and rubbed the painfully strained member through the fabric. Excitement bubbled through her and down to the heat pooling in her core as she was finally able to touch him without him gently pushing her away._

_She hastily undid his belt and zipper, his pants and underwear joining her tattered dress on the floor, freeing the beast underneath. And boy was he a beast. She didn’t think she had a male lover his length or girth before. She experimentally stroked him; already enjoying the hungry, predatory look in his eyes as she felt his cock twitch as it oozed precum._

_“Charlie,” he huskily panted, “please be a dear and make the pain go away.”_

_She was confused by his choice of words. Before she could respond her legs were hitched over his shoulders and he plunged deep into her core. The lubrication from her own arousal and when he explored down there earlier with his tongue made the penetration a lot smoother, but a whimper still escaped her throat at the sudden sensation of being widely stretched. He grasped her face and peppered her cheeks with gentle kisses as they both adjusted to the new sensation. He trailed the kisses down her neck, stopping hesitantly at the pulse at her neck before continuing down to the valley of her breasts. She tangled one hand in his hair and the other grasped his shoulder as he began to take her right nipple into his mouth. She squeaked and rolled her hips as his fingers began to play with the neglected twin. The movement of her hips made him instinctively thrust forward. He groaned and began a steady pace against her bucking hips._

_She didn’t know if it was the alcohol or getting caught up in the moment, but she didn’t care how loud they were being as they were being more aggressive with each other. She wasn’t exactly expecting their first time together being so loud and rough, but she couldn’t say that she wasn’t enjoying the sadistic-masochistic fuck session they had going in._

_She hissed as she felt his claws dug into her hips. Her horns and demonic red eyes making an appearance from the unexpected sting. Pain mixed with pleasure as she retaliated back by sinking and raking her nails down his shoulders and back. That only seemed to excite him further as his movements became more erratic as his antlers elongated. Her voice went up an octave when she felt a familiar tension building up within her quickly. Not three strokes later her orgasm hit her hard and fast as she convulsed around his cock. Her clamping down on him was the final straw that sent him over the edge. A guttural moan escaped him as he spilled into her, landing on top of her as they both came down from their highs._

The sudden sound of a door opening broke her out of her daydream. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why hello there sinners! If you've made it this far I just want to say thank you for reading 4 chapters of my story so far. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Please leave a comment because I would love to see how my fanfic has been perceived, and how I can improve future chapters and fanfics. Have a wonderful day (or night), and I hope to maintain my goal of posting a new chapter at least once a week.


	5. I Just Need Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

Singer, club owner, and self-acclaimed hotsy-totsy bell of the ball Mimzy was finishing up her makeup in her vanity mirror when she felt a sudden chill prickle across her skin. 

“Nice to see you too, Alastor.” She commented at the shadowy figure in her room, not even caring to turn around as she finished her mascara. “ Why don’t you clean yourself up and join Rosie and I downstairs at the club? Better than continuing to sulk over your moll problems.”

“Me? Sulking? Ha! Why Mimzy you must have me mistaken for another demon.”

She completed applying her favorite wine-colored lipstick, rolling her lips in to smear the substance before rolling them out with a small pop. “Nope.” She responded. “How many years have we’ve known each other?”

“Time is such an irrelevant thing when you’re in hell.” He quipped.

“Almost a hundred years, and that’s including both our time alive and in hell. And during that time have you ever known me as being wrong?”

He cocked his eyebrow. “Well you weren’t right about the squealer who got you cut down.”

She finally turned to look at him, a small nerve being struck was evident on her face. “That damn rat was my one and only wrong. Besides, I got to exit in a blaze of glory with the fuzz and got to see you and Rosie sooner.”

“Your point Mimzy?” He waved his bloodied gloved hand.

“My point is that I know you. And the Alastor I know is a large drama queen under all that murderous aura and bravado. Why don’t you go back to your little squeeze already and stop sulking? Your bad for my business. Even some of my highly powerful regulars have been avoiding leaving their homes this past week.”

“I still don’t know who managed to drug me.” He seethed. “I didn’t realize how soft I’ve been getting over the past few years, and I think everyone is forgetting that I’m not someone to be messed with.” The radio speaker in his voice crackled lowly as the dials in his red eyes briefly appeared.

“Do you think it was Charlie?” She curiously inquired.

“Her? Not an ice cube’s chance down here. I don’t think she’s even purchased drugs in her entire existence.” He said, his rage softening.

Mimzy pondered for a moment. “Has your memory been getting better?”

“Only a few clear fragments but mostly hazy images; it’s getting better though.”

“Hm. If you still can’t remember who gave you the tainted hooch you should go talk to Charlie already. Poor thing is probably worried sick about you; especially since you’ve been broadcasting your tantrum all over the radio.”

“I wasn’t throwing a tantrum; I was sending a message to whoever thought it would be a funny idea to mess with me.” He interjected.

“Ha! It looked like one to me.” She laughed.

“You’re lucky you’re a valuable asset, Mimzy.” The radio demon hissed.

“I think you mean I’m a dear friend but jokes aside I think all of Pentagram City has gotten your ‘message’. Don’t you think it’s time you head back to the hotel?”

“You trying to kick me to the curb already? Tired of my presence doll-face?” He asked, trying to sound wounded.

“No. You’re always welcomed here, but the only reason you’ve been sleeping in my guest bedroom for the past week is because you’re procrastinating seeing your moll. You know, the longer you avoid her the worst it’s going to be. I know if it were me you would be in the doghouse for the rest of our eternity in hell for sure.”

“Maybe you’re right-“

“Damn straight I ‘am.” She quipped.

“Thank you for letting me stay here Mimzy.” He genuinely smiled.

“That’s what valuable assets are for.” She smiled back.

+++++++++++++++

The dark shadows provided excellent coverage and quick travel back to Hazbin Hotel. Without a sound he slinked past the front doors and lobby, passing by a rather loud game of poker going on down in the reception hall, and up the flights of stairs to the private suites. He materialized at Charlie’s door; not a trace of his massacre on him after taking Mimzy’s suggestion to clean up. He decided to knock and announce his presence rather than risking accidently startling her, but no reply was heard behind the door. In fact, he discovered that she wasn’t in her room at all.

 _This isn’t good at all,_ he thought to himself.

He hesitantly knocked on his own door. No sound from there either, but when he opened the door to his suite and entered his bedroom, he saw a small familiar form lounging on his bed. Along with Razzle and Dazzle curled up against the demoness.

“You know I don’t like pets on my bed dear.” He said with a smirk.

“Where have you been? Why did you leave without saying anything? Are you angry with me? Why are you angry at me? Do you know how worried I’ve been?” All the questions that had been accumulating the past week were bursting out at once as she scooted off the bed to head towards him. The action disturbed the little snoozing imps from their slumber. Upon seeing the antlered demon they didn’t hesitate to disappear from the room quickly. Before he could speak or answer her questions a certain detail caught his attention. Charlie was surprised to see him suddenly materialized in front of her, down on his knees at the edge of the bed in front of her still sitting from.

“Al, what are you-,” but before she could finish his hands were on her short black pajama shorts. She let out a surprised squeak as he rolled the seams of the leg part of the shorts up, revealing the now mostly healed claw marks that decorated her pale skin. The usual smile that he dressed his face with was gone, not even a smirk or a grin. It felt like an eternity had passed as Alastor examined Charlie’s skin before she spoke up.

“Al, what are you doing?”

“Did- Did I do this?” He questioned.

“It’s not that bad,” she stated as she rolled back down her shorts and tried swatting his hands away. “They actually healed pretty quickly, and they don’t hurt anymore.” She saw anger flash across his eyes and heard the brief sound of radio static.

“Charlie,” he said as he looked up, his eyes staring back into hers. “I need you to tell me everyone who served us drinks that night.”

“Why would you be concerned about our-“ And suddenly it clicked. Him feeling unwell, how rough he had been, and why he said he was in pain. 

“You- You think someone drugged you?” She stuttered, suddenly another thought crossed her mind. “Do you believe I drugged you?”

“No. Far from it my love. I think you were a victim just as much as I was.” He said as he finally stood up. She winced when she heard him say the word ‘victim’.

“If you weren’t mad at me then why did you suddenly leave like that?”

He took a seat next to her on the bed. “I was angry at myself at first. It was like my mind and body weren’t connected, like I wasn’t in control of my own body anymore. Everything hurt when I woke up and I didn’t know how to feel. To try to clear my head I went hunting for a while, sleeping at a spare room at Mimzy’s. I’m sorry I was gone for so long. I thought that you hated me, that I took advantage of you when you were drunk. I understand if I broke your trust and you hate me now. ”

She looked down at her painted black nails in her lap; listening and trying to process what he was telling her about his point of view.

“Can I hold your hand?” She asked.

“Only if you’re comfortable, sweetheart.”

She reached out and grasped his hand that was sitting between them. “I’m more worried about you feeling comfortable. I know how you feel about others touching you.” She said as she rubbed the pad of her thumb across his knuckles.

“Alastor, I want you to know that I don’t hate you. In fact, I would have considered that night one of the best nights I’ve ever experienced. I’m just sorry that it wasn’t the same for you, and that your choice to decide was taken from you. I wish you would have stayed and worked this out with me from the beginning.”

“I know, I regret not coming to you sooner and for making you feel like it’s your fault.”

“It’s not your fault either.” She added.

“You’re right. It’s whoever tampered with my drink is at fault. The only problem is that the drugs have made the details of that night a bit blurry. I know Husker wouldn’t dare cross me, so he’s off the suspect list. It has to be someone who had a motive and access to our drinks from the bar to our table.”

“Oh shit.” Charlie suddenly said as a certain foul-mouth spider demon came to mind.


	6. Hit the Road Jack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

The reception hall was full of noise and chatter as Angel, Husk, Nifty, and a few other hotel staff members had brought out the poker table from the large first floor storage room into the hall.

“I say your fucking cheating!” Yelled the grey winged cat demon as he slammed his fist into the table.

“Don’t be mad, baby. Although I kind of like it when you’re angry.” Smirked Angel as he grabbed the large stash of candy from the center of the table. They were able to convince Charlie to allow them to play card games and gamble at the hotel, but they were only allowed to gamble with candy or bet on different chore duties.

Before Husk could swear more profanities or start a brawl with the porn star the hall suddenly had a red tinted glow cast upon it. The inky black shadows at the edge of the hall raced toward the center of the room where the table and its occupants sat. When the shadows reached the spider demon they morphed into several tentacles, constricting around him and hoisting him up into the air. Out from the shadows appeared the red figure of the Radio Demon, menacing eyes and a wicked grin plastered on his face.

“Good to see you again buddy. Mind loosening your tentacle friends a little bit? They’re kind of tight.” Spoke the scared demon, his voice shaking full of fear.

Upon seeing the terrifying sight before them the other demonic staff members wisely noped the fuck out of there. Leaving behind a stunned Husk and an amused Nifty.

“I think we should go too. That’s enough cards for one night.” Husk stated as he got up and left, dragging an upset Nifty with him.

“But I want to watch!” She yelled at Husk loudly as they exited the doors.

Just then Charlie busted through the hall’s entrance. Huffing and puffing from running all the way down the stairs from the private suites; barefoot and wearing her pajamas consisting of a black tank top and black short shorts.

“Alastor! _Pant pant._ Let him. _Pant pant._ Go!” She stated, still trying to catch her breath.

“Charlie thank goodness you’re here! Can you please tell smiles not to murder me!” He screamed.

“Oh, I don’t plan to kill you.” Alastor stated coolly.

“You-You don’t?” Angel asked.

“Simply killing you wouldn’t be any fun. Oh no, I plan to teach you a painful lesson about meddling with other’s affairs. Starting by treating you as the pest you are!” The tentacles loosened just enough to readjust. One clamped around Angel’s mouth while a large one held him around his midsection. The others went to work entangling around his six limbs. Charlie stood there shocked, puzzled at first what he planned to do with her friend. She didn’t have to wait very long for the answer. Angel’s screams of pain were muffled as his two lower arms were ripped clean from his body. The arms hit the hall floors with two distinct thuds. His body immediately regenerated the missing limbs out of instinct.

“For every scar on Charlie’s skin is another limb ripped clean off your body!” Alastor yelled gleefully. The spider demon only continued to scream into the inky tentacle as tears, blood, and discarded arms and legs hit the floor. 

Charlie could only stand there in shock as the person she cared about very much, continued to tear into and repeatedly rip apart another person she cared about very much. She knew what Angel did to Alastor was very wrong, even though at the time he thought he was helping her with her relationship problems, but what Alastor was doing to Angel felt even more wrong.

The feeling of a hand on his shoulder caught the Radio Demon off guard. He turned his head see the tear stained face of his beloved demon belle.

“Alastor, I said let him go. He’s been punished enough.”

To her surprise the tentacles dropped their prisoner, a sickening sound reverberated off the hall’s walls as Angel hit the pool of his own blood. Charlie ran towards her collapsed friend, almost slipping in the slick blood in the process.

“C-Charlie thank y-you so-“ Before he could finish his sentence he was harshly slapped across the cheek.

“That’s for thinking it’s okay to date rape drug someone.” She hissed, horns and red eyes fully exposed on her tear stained face. Angel could only stare back at her with a mortified expression as she got down to his level and placed her hands securely on his shoulders.

“Now Angel, I want you to apologize, pack your things, and I don’t want to see your face for at least a month. And when you come back you will not bring in any drugs or men into my hotel ever again. If you do, I won’t stop Alastor from doing whatever he wants to you, do you understand?” She hissed in-between sharp demonic teeth. When he didn’t respond she yelled, “Do you understand!?”

“Yes!” He yelled back.

“Good.” She said as she stood up, her horns receding and her eyes going back to their normal color. “Now get to it.” She said as she extended her hand to him to help him up.

And he did exactly what she requested him to do. Once he awkwardly apologized to Alastor and stumbled out the hall’s doors to get to his room to start packing it was eerily quiet in the hall.

“I didn’t think it was possible to fall even more in love with you.” Spoke an impressed and awed Alastor, he had to admit that in that moment even he felt a little afraid of the hellish princess. Standing there in her rather skimpy pajamas coated in spider demon blood.

“This does not mean you’re out of the doghouse for maiming my friend. Now clean this mess up; my mom is planning to visit us in the next few weeks and I rather the hotel not be blood stained.” And with that she walked out of the hall to go end her night with a much needed shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and salutations sinners! Due to being surprised with with more supportive comments and kudos I didn't think my first fanfic would get, I decided to post two of my chapters a little earlier than Friday. And now that I'm a little more comfortable using this platform I plan to go back and properly clean up my chapter title formatting and beginning chapter notes tonight. Thank you to everyone! I think you're all awesome! I still plan to release a chapter this Friday and try to stick with my goal of at least one chapter a week. As always, please feel free to leave a comment. I like to know what you guys think and how I can improve future chapters.


	7. 9 to 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

The next three weeks at the hotel following Angel’s temporary leave were rather mundane. Well, if you didn’t count everyone giving the Radio Demon a rather large radius of personal space. In addition, if one were to ask Charlie how things were going, she definitely wouldn’t use the term mundane.

Her eyes fluttered open as she groggily turned her head towards her bedside clock.

“Fuck!” The demoness yelled as she bolted up with a start after reading the clock’s displayed image of 10:03 a.m. She threw on some clothes and quickly brushed the tangles out of her blonde locks. She raced down the steps to the first floor, barely even registering Nifty saying good morning to her before she burst into the red demon’s office.

“Why good morning sleeping beauty.” He nonchalantly greeted her as he looked up from the papers he was reading at his desk.

“Why didn’t you wake me up two hours ago!?”

“I tried darling, but you wouldn’t even budge. Plus, I think you needed the extra sleep. You’ve been really tired lately. Care for a beignet?” He offered, referring to the plate of fresh, deep-fried, Louisiana pastries he had sitting on his desk.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” She stated as the smell of the deep-fried food made her stomach twist a little. “By the way, did the plumber show up?”

“Yes, I let him in earlier and he’s installing the new water heater right now.” He answered as he dunked one of the pastries in his coffee mug, resuming going back to reviewing the documents he was going over. “Now I know you have to head to the new arrivals orientation soon, but we really should go over next month’s financial budget.”

“Don’t worry, it’s the first thing-,” before she could finish her sentence Nifty stepped into the office.

“My golly you’re a fast runner!” The little cyclops stated. “I was trying to tell you when you were running by that your mom’s here.”

“She’s here already? Why is she here already? She isn’t supposed to be here until 6 p.m.” She panickily babbled.

“Oh. And Vaggie and Lily are here too. Something about wedding planning.” The small demon added.

“Shit.”

+++++++++++++++ 

Charlie found the Queen of Hell sitting in one of the lounge couches in the lobby, chatting away with a smiling Vaggie and a laughing Lily. They were obviously enjoying whatever they were chatting with Lilith about.

“And that is why I don’t wear white anymore!” She giggled.

“Oh that’s hilarious! I’m so glad we ran into you this morning.” Smiled Vaggie just as Charlie, Alastor, and Nifty approached them.

“Hey….good morning, mom. I didn’t expect you to be here so early.”

“Charlie!” The horned demoness excitedly exclaimed as she got up and enveloped her daughter in a warm hug.

“I cleared my whole schedule today and thought I would stop by a little early to spend the day with you. I feel so bad how busy I’ve been lately. It’s been at least two months since I’ve last seen you.”

“I’m excited to see you too ….but my schedule is a little packed until this evening.”

“That’s okay sweetie,” her mom responded. “That just means I get to see what your average workday is like. And that’s not all I plan for us to do.” She added.

_Oh no, here it comes,_ Charlie thought to herself.

“This evening we should look at all of the available bachelor and bachelorette profiles I’ve been researching for you again. I think you’ll like some of my recommendations.”

Whenever Lilith came to visit it presented a rather large elephant in the room that was known by everyone, except Lilith. As far as the Queen of Hell knew, her daughter had been single for over the past three years. Over a year ago, Charlie and Alastor agreed to not make their relationship public knowledge; mostly because it was nobody else’s business. The other reason was because even though Lucifer and Alastor had mutual respect for each other, they weren’t too fond of one another. It also didn’t help that Charlie and Lucifer currently did not have the best relationship.

“That sounds great mom, but first we need to head to the new arrivals orientation in the conference room.” She said as she began to feel a little light-headed.

“Wait a minute. Did you forget about us wedding planning today?” Asked a confused Lily.

“Dios mío, Charlie. I took off work today. And you know money’s been tight with me working and Lily still job hunting.” Vaggie said exasperated.

“Hey, it’s okay babe. Just because the interview for that secretary job at I.M.P didn’t go so well doesn’t mean something else won’t pop up.” Lily said as she squeezed Vaggie’s hand.

“I’m really sorry you guys. I really should have been planning my week a lot better. I’m sure I’ll be able to squeeze you into my schedule somehow.” At that moment Alastor noticed the funny way she slightly swayed and shifted her weight.

“There’s plenty of seats around us. Do you need to sit down?” He asked.

“What? No, I feel just fine. Just a little tired.” She responded as convincingly as she could, but his left eyebrow cocked in a questioning manner, clearly not convinced.

“Hey Charlie!” Nifty yelled from across the lobby. “They’re ready for you in the conference room!”

“ I’ll be there in just a sec!” She yelled back.

“Charlie, what about our plans?” Asked the moth demon.

“Charlie, I think they need you over at orientation.” Commented Lilith.

“Charlie, I really think you should sit down.” Stated Alastor.

_Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, Charlie,_ was almost all she could hear.

“Al, I told you I’m-“ But the world around her spun uncontrollably as well as the muscles in her legs giving out. Her vision faded to black as a pair of familiar arms caught her just in time before her head could connect with the coffee table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's close enough to Friday. Plus, I've been trying to get back into drawing again so enjoy my attempt at digital art of my OC Lily. Have a wonderful weekend sinners!


	8. Dirty Little Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

The demoness felt like passing out again; this just couldn’t be real. She was going to wake up from this uncomfortable and weird dream any minute. She was going to wake up at 8 a.m. and tell her strange dream to Alastor over breakfast, and her workday would go on as usual. But when she heard the faint fluttering coming from the monitor, it sunk in that this wasn’t a vivid dream.

“I would estimate you at a little over six weeks gestation; enough hormones by now could make your blood vessels widen and cause a drop in blood pressure. Would explain the fainting spell you had earlier.” Explained the royal family doctor Lilith had immediately summoned not too long after her daughter had passed out. “I would advise to take it easy and immediately sit down when you feel lightheaded again; don’t need you sustaining a concussion, and overall it’s just not good for you or the embryo.” The red imp physician noted as she moved the ultrasound wand around Charlie’s lower stomach, not saying anything about the scars on her patient’s lower stomach but taking note of them.

The usually talkative and extroverted Lilith remained quiet in her seat, as it dawned on her how disconnected she was from her daughter’s life. It was clearly apparent now to the Queen that Charlie had been in a romantic relationship with her infamous business partner for quite some time seeing how he fretted over her daughter. Still glued to her side while her daughter’s hand was tightly clasped around his. Lilith couldn’t be happier that Charlie had found a supportive partner, surprisingly within the Radio Demon. However, she couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt that her daughter had been hiding parts of her life from her. She definitely planned to speak with Charlie later about it.

“…but overall healthy little bugger.” Dr. Vex added as she handed Charlie a clean towel to wipe the gel off her abdomen.

Alastor too had been rather silent throughout the whole in-house emergency doctor’s visit. He was torn between staying by his love’s side or asking Vaggie for her extermination spear and bumping off Angel Dust from the face of existence. Because of that damn pest they were thrown into a rather unexpected situation that compromised Charlie’s health, and he didn’t particularly like the occasional suspicious glare the red imp was giving him.

“Before we wrap up this visit, I would like to speak to Charlotte privately.” Dr. Vex stated as she packed away her equipment.

Alastor gave Charlie’s hand a reassuring squeeze before getting up and walking out the door with Lilith. It was then that Charlie noticed that the doctor had been practically staring daggers into the back of Alastor’s head as he left the room.

“I’ve been your family’s physician since before your mom was pregnant with you. And I know for a fact that you’ve never had those scars. You can tell me if he-“

“Woah woah woah! Wait a minute.” Charlie stated as the realization hit her what the doctor assumed. “Alastor did not force himself on me. We’re just……a little rough in the bedroom is all.” She embarrassingly stated as a deep blush on her cheeks formed, not really wanting to discuss her one and only time she had sex with Alastor.

“Well you’re lucky your mother didn’t see them. Your mom is almost just as sweet as you, but she wouldn’t hesitate sending him to his second death.”

Charlie sighed and leaned back into her pillows. Today wasn’t exactly on her top five of favorite days, it wasn’t even close to making the list.

“Before you leave, can you send just Alastor in here?” Charlie requested.

The imp hoisted up her large medical bag before responding, “I’ll make sure to tell him on my way out. And I’ll write you a prescription for pre-natal supplements for now but contact me when you’ve made your decision. Oh, and Charlotte,” she added. “No matter what you decide please try to take better care of yourself.” And with that Dr. Vex exited the bedroom.

+++++++++++++++ 

She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them close as she crossed her arms. _A baby?_ She thought to herself. _Am’ I even ready for this?_ She couldn’t confidently say for sure in that moment. To be truthfully honest, motherhood never even crossed her mind. She was with Vaggie, followed by being single, followed by only using the tentacles in the bedroom for so long that contraception slipped her alcohol fogged brain that night. _How does Al feel about this?_ He was so focused and worried about her that she had no idea what he thought about their predicament. She looked up when she heard her bedroom door creak open.

“How are you feeling, darling?”

“Physically I feel better, just a bit hungry though.”

“Whatever you want to eat, doll-face. You do own a hotel; room service is an option.” He joked.

“But emotionally, I- I feel like shit.” She said as she felt herself suddenly break down, not able to control the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

“Hey, what’s with the waterworks, sweetheart? Everything is going to be okay. You don’t have to decide on anything right this second.” He comforted as he took off his shoes and got up onto the bed to sit next to his sweet demoness’s shaking form, pulling her into his chest and holding her close.

“I woke up late again, I wasn’t able to let the plumber in this morning, I forgot about Vaggie and Lily’s wedding planning appointment, my mom showed up way too fucking early, I missed the new arrival orientation, I fainted in my own lobby, and now I’m fucking pregnant!” She ranted as she cried.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay, Charlie.” He soothed as he reached into his pocket to find her a clean handkerchief. Just then there was a knock at the door.

“Is it okay if we come in?” Asked Lilith as she peered through the slightly open door.

“Who’s all standing behind the door and how long have you all been eaves dropping?” Alastor inquired.

“Um. Not too long.” Spoke Lily as the door opened wider to reveal Vaggie, Lily, Lilith, Nifty, Razzle, Dazzle, and even Husk.

“I fucking swear I’m just here to ask about my paycheck. I wasn’t concerned at all after hearing that Charlie passed out.” Husk mumbled.

“Yeah, sure you are Husk.” Vaggie joked.

Charlie’s eyes filled with tears again but for a different reason.

“That-That’s so s-sweet of you!” She cried as she blotted the handkerchief on her tear-stained face as Lilith approached her daughter and sat on the unoccupied side of the king-sized bed. Razzle and Dazzle also took the liberty of jumping up onto the bed and cuddling close near their mistress’s legs, making sure to avoid touching Alastor.

“Charlie, I’m so sorry I stressed you out, honey. I should have called ahead instead of surprising you like I did today. Or I should have at least came over when you were expecting me to at 6 p.m.”

“And we’re sorry too Charlie. We can reschedule our wedding planning and do it on a day when you’re not so busy.” Vaggie apologized as her and Lily sat at the edge of the ever more overpopulated bed.

“And don’t worry about the new arrival orientation,” Lily added. “ Everyone there was really understanding when we told them it had to be rescheduled due to a medical emergency.”

“And I made you some herbal tea that has no caffeine in it.” Nifty excitedly announced as she placed the cup on the bedside table. “I read that it’s supposed to help.”

“See, darling.” Alastor stated. “It’s going to be okay. Look at how many people are-.” But then he stopped himself when he got an idea.

“Say Lily, you mentioned earlier that you were job hunting, is that true?”

“Yeah, I’ve gotten a couple interviews but nothing official yet.” She responded. “Why do you ask?”

“How would you like to be Charlie’s new assistant?”

“Al, I don’t think I need an-“ Charlie started to say before her mom cut her off.

“After what I’ve seen today I sure as hell think you do.”

“Mom!” Charlie exclaimed.

“Hire the girl, Al. And Charlie, you need a break honey. And this is coming from another workaholic.” Lilith commented.

Charlie sighed in defeat. “Would you like to join Hazbin Hotel?” She asked Lily.

“Oh my goodness! Yes, I would!” Lily exclaimed excitedly.

“Oh great. Another one.” Husk commented from the doorway as he rolled his eyes.

“Charlie?” They heard from the hallway a familiar voice. “Can I come back home now?” Asked Angel as his figure appeared in the doorway, surprise written on his face when he saw Charlie, Alastor, Razzle, Dazzle, Vaggie, Lily, and Nifty all sitting on Charlie’s bed. “Ooooh! Are we having a cuddle puddle? What’d I miss?” He questioned.

Charlie was confused when she saw Alastor lean over and whisper something into Vaggie’s ear. The moth demoness’s eye shot wide open, then turned into a slit as she glared at the spider. Alastor leaned back with a Cheshire smile on his face as he watched the amusing display before him unfold.

“YOU BROUGHT DRUGS TO MY ENGAGEMENT PARTY!” Vaggie seethed, whipping out her extermination spear out of nowhere.

“I suggest you run.” Alastor grinned at the terrified demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday sinners! After writing this chapter I couldn’t resist waiting a full week to post, so enjoy this early treat. Also, I think Dirty Little Secret was a perfect song fit for this chapter. So many secrets being aired out. I think the most shocking one is that Husk actually cares. Who knew? 
> 
> Please leave a comment with your opinion of the recent development in the story. Thank you for reading and have a good weekend <3


	9. Mother Knows Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

Lily’s first task at her new job was to keep her spitfire of a fiancée from murdering the slutty spider, which was quite difficult as the chase had lead outside of the hotel and onto hell’s streets.

“Was that really necessary?” Charlie asked her boyfriend as she gave him an annoyed look.

“Maybe.” He responded with a shrug. “I hope she nails him between the eyes, and I have to admit that she does have a pretty good aim so it might just happen.” He said with an amused smile.

Lilith could only blink in confusion, not really knowing what to make of the previous scene and decided not to ask about it. “You mentioned that you were hungry earlier right sweetheart?” She asked her daughter, realizing that it was around noon.

“Yeah, I could go for some pineapple pizza if everyone is cool with that?” Charlie suggested. Luckily, Alastor and Lilith were perfectly okay with that option…..Husk and Nifty, not so much.

“Your name is Nifty right? How about you call and make the order for a pineapple pizza and whatever you think the others would like.” Lilith stated as she handed Nifty her credit card.

“Ooooh! Thank you so much Charlie’s mom!” The small cyclops stated excitedly as she ran out of the room with the card.

“Mom, you really shouldn’t have done that.” Charlie sighed. “Hey Husk, can you make sure she **only** orders pizza?” She requested of the grumpy cat.

“No promises.” Husk stated as he too left the room.

Without missing a beat in the brief moment of silence Lilith asked, “So, when’s the wedding?”

If Charlie had been drinking the tea Nifty had brought her earlier, she would for sure be sputtering and choking on it right now. Instead, her body tensed, and she could sense Alastor tense up too.

“The say what now?” She asked.

“I- I beg your pardon?” The red demon asked in unison with Charlie’s question.

“Well,” the demon Queen started, “publicly it doesn’t look good to have a child out of wedlock; especially since we’re considered royalty and-“

“I have to stop you right there.” Charlie abruptly stated. “We don’t even know _if_ we’re keeping it. And even if we did, I won’t force someone to marry me just because of that.”

“I’m just thinking of the bad and unwanted publicity, I know that Katie Killjoy-“ Lilith began.

“It’s still not going to happen for either topic unless we’re both ready and if that’s what we want.” Charlie argued back.

During the back and forth argument between mother and daughter Alastor remained quiet. His life before hell, existed before Roe vs. Wade. A time where if a woman found herself knocked up in an unfavorable situation there weren’t many options for her. An unsafe back-alley abortion, disappearing for over half a year, or most likely marrying the father. And to be honest, now that the conversation was brought up; and being rather heatedly discussed, he would marry his charming demon belle in a heartbeat. Not only because it was the most gentlemanly thing to do, but because he did love her. Although, hearing her current opinion about the matter made him keep his mouth shut. The heated argument and Alastor’s feeling of awkwardness were stalled when the three heard a loud bang come from downstairs followed by screams.

+++++++++++++++

Charlie was certain that when she entered the lobby, she would find Angel firing a gun at Vaggie but that was bizarrely not the case. Instead, dense vines and vegetation covered the floors, walls, lounge chairs, welcome desk, and densely accumulated around the lobby’s hanging chandelier where two masses were hanging. Standing below the green masses was Lily; her horns were decorated with sprouting leaves and flowers as her eyes shone red. 

“I’m really sorry, Lily! I promise I won’t go after him anymore. Look, I even dropped my weapon. Now can you please put us down!” One of the tangled masses yelled.

“Yeah, this is getting kind of uncomfortable with these thorns digging into my fluff!” Shouted the adjacent tangled mass.

The two prisoners were gently placed down on the lobby floor and the vines began to recede down into the now very noticeable hole in the center of the floor.

“Hey, the pizzas here!” Chimed an unsuspecting Nifty as she entered the lobby with Husk carrying a few pizza boxes.

“What the hell happened in here? “Questioned the cat demon as he stared at the moving greenery and crater.

It was then that Lily realized all eyes were on her. From the few remaining hotel clientele that didn’t immediately run, to her new bosses and coworkers. Her eyes went back to normal as the vegetation on her horns receded. “I’m so sorry! I was just trying to stop them from hurting each other and I didn’t know what else to do. I just kind of freaked out.” She said panickily. “Your not hurt are you babe?” She asked as she ran over to her fiancée to help her up.

“No. Just a little caught off guard. I deserved that though for not stopping when you asked me to.” The moth demoness apologized.

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” She stated as she hugged her love.

“Why the fuck did mine have thorns?” Questioned Angel as he began pulling some burrs that were sticking in his fluff.

“First day on the job and you’ve already exceeded my expectations.” Commented the impressed Radio Demon.

“Yeah, but I’m really sorry about the floor….” Lily mentioned embarrassingly.

“That’s okay. Not like I just vacuumed and cleaned in here this morning.” Stated Nifty sweetly, but sarcastically.

“Hey, it’s fine. We can place some hazard cones around it for now and start patching it up after lunch.” Charlie suggested. And that’s exactly what they spent the majority of their afternoon doing.

+++++++++++++++

The final moments of Charlie’s long and exhausting day came to a close as she hugged her mom goodbye.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay longer?” Lilith asked her daughter.

“Thanks, but I think I got this mom. It’s a bit of a circus here, but I think I can handle it.” She said confidently.

“I wasn’t really talking about the hotel…”

It then dawned on her what her mom was referring to. “I think I can handle that too.” She said with not as much confidence.

“I’m just one call away, okay sweetheart. Let me now if you need anything; and don’t be so afraid to tell me what’s going on in your life from now on.“ She said as she pulled her daughter into another hug.

“I know. And you won’t tell dad about this right?” Charlie asked as her mom pulled away to look at her.

“I won’t tell him, but you should eventually.” And with that the Queen of hell got into the back of her limo and drove away from the hotel’s premise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and salutations sinners! I'am truly humbled that my first fic has reached 100 kudos and over 1,400 views. It has truly made my week, so thank you everyone. I think you are all awesome <3 Have a good weekend and I'll see you all next week with a new chapter.


	10. Big Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

Angel waited on Charlie hand-and-foot. Whatever she wanted, needed, or desired; just any excuse to stick close by his friend and not end up alone in the same room as the Radio Demon. His anxiety was through the roof as he anticipated an attack from Alastor at any moment, knowing fully well that the deer demon was most likely planning something for him ever since he learned of Charlie’s condition. In addition, the spider demon did feel bad that he was indirectly the cause of Charlie’s current situation. So for now his best bet (for his soul and conscious) was to be on his best behavior and stick close by; even though it was starting to get on the demoness’s last nerve.

“Angel, I think it’s sweet that you want to play servant, but I already have two and now an assistant.” She said, referring to Razzle, Dazzle, and now Lily. “I’m kind of sick of being hovered over like I’m going to drop any minute.” And it wasn’t just Angel she was sick of either. She knew they all meant well, but she didn’t want to feel like some fragile thing. She had been running this hotel for years dammit, a little bump in the road wasn’t going to slow her down from her goals. To combat the hovering she had been coming up with any little task to assign the eager helpers just so she could work in peace.

“Well ya kind of dropped yesterday.” He said, reminding her of yesterday’s events. “Plus, what’s wrong with a couple or triple pair of extra hands?” He joked as his third set of arms popped out from his sides.

“Uggh, your dad jokes are almost as bad as Al’s.” She groaned.

“Hey, if you let me up on stage during talent show night, I might just upstage him.” He boasted.

“No. You’re still banned from talent show night for pole dancing and stripping to Cherry Pie.”

“I can always change the song.” He mused.

“That’s not the- You know what, never mind.” She said exasperated, thinking of a way to get rid of him. “If you want to be of some sort of help go to the kitchen and get some more silverware, I don’t think we brought enough.” What she was referring to was the luncheon currently being held after just wrapping up the rescheduled new arrivals orientation. Luckily, the orientation went pretty smoothly with introductions, room set-ups, going over rules and agreement documents, and only one song from Charlie about therapy, redemption, volunteering, activities at the hotel, and community. Now she was more than ready to eat and have more personal one-on-one chats with her new patients, starting by getting rid of the porn star.

“Whatever you say, toots.” He replied, as she sent him on a wild goose chase knowing full well that they were well stocked on the main floor and that the rest of the utensils were being washed. She felt a little bad as he walked away, but the smells coming from the buffet table redirected her mind.

“There’s so many good fixin’s I’m going to be full as a tick after this.” A voice said behind her in the buffet line.

“Oh, why thank you! We have a variety of chefs staffed in our kitchen. I’m sorry that we didn’t hand out nametags today; what is your name?” Charlie asked.

“Tamara Lynn, but you can call me Tammy for short. It’s nice to finally meet you Miss Magne. I’m sorry you weren’t feeling too well yesterday.” Replied the brown furred she-wolf with ember eyes as she extended a claw.

“You can just call me Charlie. And it’s nice to finally meet you too! I hope you’re enjoying your stay here at Hazbin Hotel.” She said enthusiastically as she returned the handshake. “If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from? I really like your accent.” Charlie complimented as they finally reached the buffet table, grabbing a plate in the process.

“My stompin’ grounds are the Atlanta Georgia mountains. My southern twang isn’t too thick is it?”

“Oh no. I can understand you just fine. How are you liking your stay so far?” She asked.

“So far so good. I can’t wait to sign up for the baking classes and the volunteer work you have lined up next week.” Tammy rambled as she lifted the lid of one of the large metal containers on the table. Revealing to hold mozzarella sticks much to Charlie’s instant disgust and horror. _I swore I told the chefs no fried foods,_ she thought as she felt her stomach lurch.

“And not to mention the-“ Tammy was about to continue when she saw the blonde drop her plate on the table and dash for the exit. Charlie luckily made it in time and without embarrassing herself too much as she emptied her guts in a trash bin outside the conference room.

 _This is awful!_ She internally thought to herself as her throat burned and her stomach clenched. Suddenly surprised when she felt soft hands gently pull her hair back and away from her face.

“Do you need some help, Miss Magne?” She heard a southern drawl beside her ask.

“Thank you…..sorry for the bad first impression.”

“It’s quite al ’right. I remember when I was pregnant with my son. Puked my guts out for two months, but it was the smell of onions for me. It’ll get better, sugah’.” She soothed.

“Is it that noticeable?” She mumbled while her head was still buried in the trash bin.

“Just a bit.” The large brown wolf commented as she readjusted Charlie’s hair. 

“If it was so awful, then why did you continue with it?” Charlie asked as she lifted her head away from the bin and wiped away the extra drool away from her mouth. Followed by feeling a little embarrassed for a new acquaintance/client to see her this way, and for asking such a question right off the bat.

“Because my son was the best thing that ever happened to me.” She slightly smiled as her eyes lit up. “To see his smilin’ face after a long day at the diner, it had made my life a little more worth it.”

“But wasn’t it difficult?” She curiously questioned.

“I’m not going to lie; it was rough. I didn’t have much help raisin’ him, but every day I tried my damndest to provide for the two of us. And he made the long struggle of life less lonely and made me want to be a better person. To him, I was never seen as a failure. Although….. in the end I guess God still considered me damned.” Her words ending in a sad, hollow tone.

“I-I’m sorry about that.” Charlie stated, not really sure what to say.

“That’s why I’m here, right?” Tammy slightly smiled. “To try to redeem myself.”

“I assure you that my staff and I will do everything we can to help turn your afterlife around. I believe there’s something good deep down inside of everyone; and you barely even know me yet were willing to hold my hair as I got really well acquainted with that trach can.” She said as she happened to unfortunately glance at the mess she made. “Note to self, get someone to change out that trash bag soon.” She added.

“If you’re feeling better, how about we get you some lemon water and find you something less nauseating to munch on.” The she-wolf suggested.

+++++++++++++++

She reclined back onto the red satin pillows on Alastor’s bed as she gingerly sipped the peppermint tea Tammy had suggested she try; finding that she actually quite enjoyed the cool taste it left behind. Too bad it didn’t do much to cool down her nerves. Throughout the day, the same reacquiring question buzzed noisily in her mind. When her loved ones hovered and were only trying to make her day easier, it only annoyed her because it kept taking the same dreaded question off her metaphorical back burner. She didn’t want to think about it; however, after talking and quickly befriending the pleasantly sweet she-wolf, she felt ready to talk about and answer the question. But as she waited for her boyfriend to exit the bathroom she mindlessly scrolled through her phone, trying to keep herself busy with cute puppy videos.

“What’s on your mind, sweetheart?” The red demon asked as he made his way to her, ready for bed, dressed in a long-sleeved blood-red night shirt and black sweatpants.

“Why do you think something is on my mind?” She inquired innocently.

“Because you’re distracting yourself with small fuzzy animals on your mini picture show.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” She quipped.

“Does it have anything to do with you keeping everyone unusually busy with paperwork and mediocre errands?” He asked as he climbed into bed next to her.

  
“Yes..no..maybe.”

He slid in closer, moving her phone from her hand to the bedside table, now able to hold her freed hand. “You know you shouldn’t keep everything bottled up, darling, you’re going to end up combusting again. You also know you can discuss anything with me.”

“I-I just don’t like how fragile everyone’s been treating me. I know it was only yesterday that I passed out- and before you can say anything I did sit down today whenever I felt lightheaded.” She quickly stated before he could interject. “Even you hovered over me this morning.”

“And did I not respect your wishes when you told me to ‘knock it off’.” He quoted.

“Yes, you did, and I’m very grateful for that. I just hope everyone else will still see me as, well, me. That they know that I don’t plan to give up on my dream of this hotel and helping sinners.”

“With how passionate you are about this project I never doubted that you would, but what are you exactly saying, darling?” He asked as he curiously cocked an eyebrow, wondering what she was insinuating.

“I think I want to keep it.” She said with much more confidence in her voice compared to when she spoke to her mom yesterday. “I don’t exactly know your thoughts about children….and I know the situation that got us here wasn’t very...”She stalled for a moment, thinking of a somewhat correct term to use, “…orthodox. But I think I’ve made up my mind.”

“If it’s purely your decision, then I’ll stand behind you one-hundred percent.”

“Thank you, Alastor.” She said as she hugged him, letting the gratitude finally sink in. She enjoyed the peaceful moment of clarity, until a thought crossed her mind. 

“Oh, by the way, did you do anything to Angel recently? She asked as she looked up to him. “He wouldn’t leave my side practically all day.”

“Me? I haven’t done jack to him since he’s returned.” He stated, not bringing up that he did intentionally sic Vaggie on the spider yesterday.

“Uh huh. Sure.” She commented as she pulled away from his embrace.

“I swear my love. Haven’t laid a finger on him. But frankly, I do find it quite entertaining how jumpy he’s become.”

“Maybe because he thinks you’re going to send him through multiple walls any minute.” She suggested.

“As much as I would love to see how far I can throw him, I think I’ll hold off on it. I’m finding it so much more amusing seeing how the dread of me doing something to him is doing much more damage on him mentally than I could ever anticipate.” He mused as the radio static in his voice hummed lowly. “And I don’t even have to do anything! I’m going to see how long I can stretch out this little game; see how long it takes him to crack.” He grinned. 

“What? Al, no. I can’t have him constantly glued to my side. I think I’ll be the one to crack first. I’ll speak with him tomorrow and you will still not lay a finger, tentacle, shadow, or anything else on him.” She commanded.

“Killjoy. You know he deserves it.” He replied as he folded his arms across his chest. 


	11. Making Love with The Radio On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

Charlie held back moan as she pumped her fingers in and out of herself, while her other hand was busy gently stroking over her clit. Music played from her bedside radio to help cover her sounds just in case someone happened to be up on the suite floors. She would be messing with her breast too; however, she still found them too sore and didn’t give them much attention. She held back another whimper as she hid underneath her covers in her room, fantasizing that it was Alastor’s fingers inside her instead of her own, inhaling his lingering scent from the pillow he slept on last night. Imagining him holding her close as he trailed kisses down her neck while calling her every endearment in the book.

The demoness had been finding herself doing this a lot recently. As she was approaching her 13th week her fatigue and nausea seemed to have declined quite a bit, which she was very grateful for. She couldn’t stand another bought of morning sickness, or bedrest because she was getting sick so much that Dr. Vex had to be called in and hook her up to fluids to ease her dehydration and lack of eating. She tried to eat and hold down any bland food Tammy suggested when her appetite did surface, trying to gain back weight and then some. But to no avail, she still lost weight and her stomach was still flat; making her worry despite Dr. Vex saying that’s pretty normal in some pregnancies and that the fetus was doing just fine.

While Charlie was more worried about her weight, Al on the other hand was more worried about Charlie herself. It worried him every time she had to stop anything she was doing just to find a toilet, the chance she might suddenly pass out again, how much more easily she cried, and every time he had to ring the doctor because she couldn’t keep anything down. It was frying his nerves. And he was quite happy and relieved when the symptoms started to fade. However, a new symptom seemed to pop up suddenly overnight. Almost every time he talked to his lovely demon belle or tried to spend time with her, she quickly upped and vanished. He was finding it quite irritating.

She turned her head into Alastor’s pillow in an attempt to muffle her heavy pants as she felt herself about to finally reach her climax.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding out, my dear.” A familiar voice startled her as she pulled her comforter around herself tighter, turning around to see the amused face of the Radio Demon standing in her room.

“The door was locked for a reason!” She scolded. Damn him and his shadow traveling abilities.

“Is this why you’ve been avoiding me?” He questioned.

“Yeah….I didn’t want to bother you.” She stated as she pulled the comforter even closer to her small form. “I get the feeling that you never want to touch me again, or for me to touch you, because of that night and I-“ Her sentence was cut short when a pair of lips suddenly but gently pressed against hers.

“I don’t ever want you to feel like you have to hid from me, darling.” The red demon stated as he sat next to her on the bed, grasping one of her hands in his own. “Would you like some help?” He offered as he lifted up her hand that was still slick with her juices, making her already pink face blush deeper.

“I- I would love that,” she stammered as she pulled her hand away, “but only if you’re comfortable with it.”

What happened next surprised her. She thought he would bring the tentacles out, but instead he began to undress.

“You’re not going to use the tentacles?” She curiously asked.

“Would you prefer them instead?” He offered as he placed his pinstripe dress coat on one of the chairs in the room before taking his spot back on the bed next to her.

“No, no, no! That’s not what I meant at all. I’m just a little surprised that you’re not.” She stated. He paused for a moment as he leaned over her, his hand tracing the curve of her hip over the covers.

“I don’t want that night to be remembered as my- our first time together.” He started to say as his hand traveled from her hip, up her arm, before finally making its destination to her face. “You said before that you wanted to be loved, and frankly my dear, I just want to move on from that night. So why don’t you let me love you?” He gently asked, his eyes half-lidded, showing a softness that Charlie rarely saw.

+++++++++++++++

She grasped his red locks a little too tightly as his tongue worked on her clit and around her sensitive opening. It was becoming very tempting to start tugging on his soft deer-like ears, but she didn’t want to accidently piss him off. Instead, she settled on one hand tightly grasping her bed sheets as the other clenched one of his short antlers.

“Wait- wait,” she breathlessly gasped. But he didn’t want to wait. Oh no, he knew exactly what was coming and couldn’t wait a moment longer to see the orgasmic expression about to grace his lover’s face. “I’m gonna- ah.” She panted before her pelvic muscles tightened in a rhythmic pulse as extra fluid gushed out of her core. He found that he didn’t much care for the taste, nothing bad, but not what he was enjoying the most. What he was enjoying the most was how easily he was unraveling her.

“I- I tried to warn you. I’m sorry that-“ She started to apologize.

“What are you apologizing for, my dear? Don’t feel ashamed about your body.” He commented as he wiped his mouth. He began to climb on top of her, ready to make her come undone again.

“Wait.” Charlie spoke as she placed a hand to Alastor’s bare chest in a motion for him to stop.

“What is it, doll-face?” He asked.

“Can I try something?” She asked. “You can stop me if you don’t like it.”

He thought for a moment before agreeing. He soon found himself laying on his back as his upper half was propped up by pillows, his lover in between his legs as she stroked his erect member. Her other hand traced the scars decorating his lower torso as she glanced at the several others that marked up his chest and arms; a little piece of his death that clung onto his soul before entering hell. She leaned down to lovingly kiss the unholy marks before trailing back down. He was curious what his love was up to but didn’t have to wait long before her black lips enveloped his throbbing shaft.

Alastor was certainly taken by surprise, both by her actions and the strange sensations. He pushed down the feelings of disgust and the urge to push her away. Instead, he focused on the primal physical pleasure he felt every time her blonde head bobbed down, causing the tip to graze the back roof of her mouth. He pulled her hair back away from her face and held her long locks as he watched the lewd display before him. It would be hard not to admit that he was enjoying the experience. Charlie also seemed to be enjoying herself and when she started going faster, he couldn’t help but breathe a little harder.

“I’m going to have to stop you right there, darling.” He panted as he used both of his hands to stop her bobbing motion. “Don’t want the fun to end so soon.”

“Just wanted to return the favor.” She smiled as she wiped her mouth and crawled up towards his awaiting arms. When she reached her destination she squeaked in surprise as he flipped them over, with Charlie on her back and him hovering above her.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” The pale demoness asked as she looked into his eyes for confirmation.

“Isn’t that suppose to be my line?” He teased as he slowly entered her as he kissed down her neck. She let out a low moan and wrapped her legs around his torso, urging him to plunge into her faster; however, something caught her off guard. She wasn’t expecting to feel something soft and fluffy against her calf. To confirm her suspicions she reached for his backside and felt the strange thing.

“Would you so kindly stop?” He deadpanned.

“You have a deer tail!” She excitedly exclaimed. “Why have you been hiding it?! I’m surprised I didn’t notice it until now. It’s so cute!” She joyfully squealed as she continued to pet the fluffy appendage.

“I think we’re done here.” He said as he began to pull away.

“Wait! Alastor, I’m sorry. I’ll stop messing with your tail. I just love it and wish you would have shown it to me before.” Charlie apologized.

“And you won’t breathe one word of this outside of these four walls?” He inquired.

“I promise.” She sincerely smiled. “Now won’t you come back her and let me love you?”

+++++++++++++++

It was certainly different compared to last time. Last time was so sudden, so primal, and so rough. She still had the scars of that night etched into her flesh, which Alastor lovingly licked and kissed as he worshipped her body. He was being so kind, so gentle, so….tame. Which Charlie found endearing for the first fifteen minutes, but she was eager for a different pace.

“Ah- Al, I think it’s sweet that you’re worried about being too rough with me, but it’s getting a little…” Before she could say another word, she found herself on her hands and knees as she felt him enter from behind. She gasped as the new angle stretched her differently, feeling like he was going even deeper.

“Were you about to call me boring already darling?” He whispered in her ear as he forced her upper half into the pillows. “Well that just isn’t going to do.” He teased as he plunged deep and hard within her. She writhed underneath him as he readjusted her legs, bringing them closer together to make her feel even tighter.

“N-No! I-I wasn’t about to say that!” She barely managed to get out with her face squished against the pillows as he rammed into her.

“You know I don’t like liars dear.” He wickedly gleamed. A sensual moan escaped the demoness when he smacked her ass, hard enough to tinge it pink . _What a little masochist!_ He mused as he started to get caught up in the moment as she became louder. He found entertainment in bringing pain to others in many forms; and to his delight, Charlie was loving it too as he felt her muscles clamp down on him. It wasn’t long before her hands were clutching the sheets as she tried to silence her wails and moans of pleasure; grateful that most likely no one was on this floor and that they had the music playing on the radio as a noise buffer. What finally pushed her over the edge to her second orgasm was when he reached between her legs to mess with her clit again as he panted into her ear, “Now let go Charlie.” Hearing his voice so labored and breathless, and close to coming undone himself did her in hard. Her sharp little fangs punctured into the pillow as she shuddered, feeling Alastor’s hip ram into her one last time as she felt him spill into her.

When he finally collected his wits, he collapsed beside her and pulled her in close. Taking in the inviting smell of her strawberry scented hair.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He asked her with worry.

“No,” she said as she turned around to face him, nuzzling into his chest as she intertwined her legs into his, “I would tell you if you did.”

Just then another thought crept into his mind. “I got so caught up in the moment, I didn’t – “ He said, motioning toward her abdomen.

“Nope.” She quickly replied as she cut him off. “Dr. Vex said that as long as I’m not uncomfortable and there’s no bleeding we can have as much fun as we want. Don’t worry, they’re well protected in there.”

“Well that’s certainly a relief.” He sighed as he absentmindedly brushed her hair away from her face.

“Was this a much better first time?” She asked.

“You have no idea, my dear.”

She smiled as she lifted her head up to plant kisses along the bottom of his jaw, snaking her arm around him to hold him close. Suddenly, she remembered the new little detail she discovered about her lover as her hand crept down to the fluffy red appendage.

“Will you stop that!” He scolded.

She squealed in amusement as she felt his tail flick in irritation, “It can move too!”

“And you’ve ruined it.” He commented, trying to sound hurt as he untangled himself from her and headed towards the bathroom for a much-needed shower.

“No, Al! Wait for me! I need a shower too.” She giggled as she followed after him to the shower. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday sinners! Damn it took me forever to write this long, smutty chapter but I think I did okay. I hope you’ve enjoyed these two chapters, my attempt at art, and the story so far; please feel free to leave a comment. I love to read and respond to them, and overall, learn what my readers like and how to improve my story telling. Also, please let me know if I should include links to the specific songs that correlate with each chapter. Now on to announcements!
> 
> Good news- I’ve finally sat down and planned how many chapters this story is going to be and how the plot is going to play out. 
> 
> Bad news- I will have to go on a short hiatus for awhile due to college life. Damn mid-terms and tedious projects (;¬_¬) I plan to comeback March 27th with hopefully multiple new chapters and better artwork. 
> 
> Last note: I’m surprised with how many people actually want to read my story, so thank you all, I hope you enjoy the future chapters and stories to come. Have a wonderful weekend!


	12. Sweet but Psycho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

Charlie smiled as she took in the beautiful sight before her. Fields of rolling hills of all sorts of flowers bloomed around her as she walked down the small clear path. She had no idea that this secret garden was just behind the hotel; and what a great day to discover it! A warm breeze danced through her blonde locks and ruffled her sundress as she continued to stroll down the path. _Warm, but not too hot, and it smells so wonderful out here,_ she thought to herself. Suddenly, she got an idea about sharing these flowers with everyone else back at the hotel. Charlie knelt down near the edge of the path as she began to create her bouquet, not caring that she was getting dirt all over her knees.

_Lilies for Lily, some hardy little pansies for Razzle and Dazzle, brightly colored hibiscus for Nifty, chrysanthemums for Tammy, a big sunflower to help bring Husk some happiness, deep-purple irises that would look lovely in Vaggie’s hair, snapdragons for Angel, and….._ she didn’t know what would be perfect for Alastor. Charlie looked around her surroundings before laying her sights on a small bush blooming with blood-red roses. She reached for a particularly large one, but before she could fully grasp its stem, she pulled her hand back as she cursed at an unexpected sting. Blood dripped onto her vibrant white sundress as she examined her finger. She cursed at herself for not being more careful about thorns as she left her strange bouquet on the dirt path and headed back towards the hotel for a band aid.

The lobby was eerily quiet upon entering the large space. _Was it always this big? Where is everyone?_ She pondered as she made her way to the closest room she knew would have a first aid kit. The demoness was about to open and enter her boyfriend’s office but halted to a complete stop upon hearing strange noises coming from just beyond the door. _No. I must not be hearing things right….._ She thought as she heard familiar pants and moans mixed with another voice that she swore sounded familiar as well. Hesitantly, she slowly turned the doorknob, opening it just enough to peer through the crack. She clasped her non-injured hand over her mouth as she stared in horror.

“Ah- _pant._ Harder daddy deerest!” moaned Angel as he egged Alastor on.

“You’re going to regret saying that, darling.” Spoke the Radio Demon as he picked up the pace, stroking his fingers through the demon spider’s chest floof.

From Charlie’s point of view she could see that Angel was splayed out on his back on Alastor’s desk; only able to see her deceitful love’s backside as he continued thrusting into the porn star. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she felt her heart shatter. She tried to run but found that her legs wouldn’t budge; she was frozen to the spot. Her paralysis felt like it was going to last forever, that was, until she felt the world around her suddenly shift. Charlie’s body fell back as she sunk through the floor and down an endless, inky, abyss.

+++++++++++++++

She jolted up in bed with a start, finding that she was drenched in a cold sweat. Her heart hammered in her chest as she panickily looked around her dark room. Charlie jumped again as she felt a warm body shift beside her and a hand on her thigh.

“Go back to bed, sweetheart.” Her boyfriend sleepily mumbled. It was then that Charlie remembered the entirety of her vivid dream.

“HOW DARE YOU CHEAT ON ME!” She hysterically yelled as she hit Alastor over the head repeatedly with her pillow.

“Goodness gracious in heaven! What are you talking about?!” He questioned as he managed to disarm her of her weapon, now fully awake and aggravated.

“You- You and Angel Dust were fucking on your office desk! Which is very unfair because you’ve never even banged me in your office. And after I was going to bring everyone some lovely flowers and-“

“Darling! Would you please listen to yourself? What you are saying is utter nonsense!”

Arguing with Charlie about a nonexistent action that he committed in a dream was certainly not how he expected to start his morning. They rarely ever fought, and most certainly not over these kind of things. Quickly deciding that he wasn’t going to tolerate it; and wanting to calm down his own rage before reasonably discussing it later, he retreated downstairs to his office. The rest of the day was spent with the two getting a healthy dose of time apart. The Radio Demon had business outside of the hotel that he realized that he had been neglecting for some time now. While he was out deal-making (and maybe committing a few murders) Charlie decided to spend her rare afternoon off with some much-needed clothes shopping with her mom. With her appetite finally returning she was finding that her usual attire was shrinking; and her mom was more than happy to try to connect and be more a part of her daughter’s life.

“So that explains your mood and why Al didn’t come with us.” Lilith said after listening to Charlie recount this morning’s events as she too tried on some clothes in an adjacent dressing stall. The Queen of Hell just couldn’t resist when passing by the _Hellishly Damned_ ’s new line of evening dresses.

“I know it was incredibly stupid of me to do that, but in that moment, I was so….so angry. I believed that he really did cheat on me. The first thing I’m going to do when I see him again is apologize.” Charlie confessed as she adjusted the black lacy bra she was trying on; the only part of her body that she was happy about getting bigger.

“When I was pregnant with you,” Lilith started,” I would also have very vivid dreams. I didn’t have any dreams of your father cheating on me….it was the other way around.”

“Mom, just ew. No. Although it does make me feel better to know that I’m not going crazy.” She commented as she hung the bra back on its hanger and placed it in her ‘to buy’ pile. The demoness glanced at the last piece of clothing she had yet to try on. A black, one-piece, maternity swimsuit that had ruffles around the chest. When Charlie told Lilith that they would be having a grand opening for the new hotel pool in two weeks the Queen insisted that they go swimsuit shopping as well. And Charlie had to admit that the outfit was kind of cute, even if it was maternity wear.

“Besides the weird dreams, is there anything else that I should expect?” She asked her mom.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been pregnant, so I don’t remember much. We can stop by the bookstore after we’re done here if you would like. Maybe a few pregnancy and child-rearing books will help you feel more prepared.” She suggested.

“Thanks, mom. And thank you for taking me shopping and listening to my relationship problems.”

“It’s no problem, honey. That’s what I’m here for. Plus, you know I enjoy this too.” Lilith said as she smiled at her reflection in her dressing room’s mirror; admiring how the dark purple evening gown complimented her skin tone and hugged her curves. “How does your new swimsuit fit?” She asked her daughter.

“It’s cute….but I don’t know if it’s cute on me.” She responded from the other side of the wall.

“Well come on out and let me see.” Lilith said as she stepped out of her dressing room and handed the large pile of clothes she was planning to buy to Dazzle. The poor goat imp nearly collapsing under the weight of all the fabric, and would have if Razzle hadn’t of jumped in to help steady the other side of the mountain of clothes.

“I don’t know….” Charlie hesitantly stated from behind her door.

“Oh, come on. It’s just me, honey. If it doesn’t work out we’ll find something else.” She encouraged.

When she saw her daughter step out in the attire she had picked out, she knew that they didn’t need to find something else. “I don’t know what you were so worried about? You look absolutely adorable! You should definitely wear that to your pool’s opening day!” Lilith squealed in excitement.

“You really think so?”

“Hell yes!” The Queen exclaimed.

“I don’t know why you’re getting so excited over my outfit, “ Charlie giggled, “when that dress looks gorgeous on you.” She pointed out.

“Thank you, sweetheart. The only good thing about the boring dinner parties your father drags me to is that I have an excuse to dress up this damn good.” She posed.

“Let’s not kid ourselves, mom. You dress like that when lounging around the palace.”

“True, very true.” She agreed.

Before Charlie could speak another word, music from her pant’s pocket in her dressing room rang out.

_♪_ _♫ Oh ashes, ashes, dust to dust_

_The devil's after both of us_

_Oh, lay my curses out to rest_

_Make a mercy out of me_ _♫_ _♪_

She instantly recognized who was calling before she saw Vaggie’s caller I.D on the screen. _I should really change her ringtone,_ Charlie thought to herself as she picked up her phone.

+++++++++++++++

She waved her mom goodbye as she helped Razzle and Dazzle bring the shopping bags into the hotel, quickly hurrying inside the building so she could meet up with Vaggie and Lily in the lobby.

“Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner guys. The checkout line was ridiculous.” The blonde apologized.

“It’s alright, do you have you the keys with you?” Lily asked.

“Yes, I have them in my purse. I’m so sorry I didn’t give them to you before I left.” Charlie stated as she fished for the keys from her purse.

“We would have asked Alastor, but he doesn’t seem to be here today. And it doesn’t help the _imbécil_ doesn’t own a phone. Where is he anyway? I thought he would be spending his day off with you.” Vaggie asked as they headed towards Alastor’s office.

“Uh….He had some other business to attend to today and it’s been forever since I spent some alone time with my mom.” She lied, not wanting to discuss her silly relationship problems with Vaggie.

Charlie unlocked her boyfriend’s office door and the trio entered, quickly heading towards the large bookshelf.

“Is this where you keep all of the hotel’s documents?” Lily asked as she looked at the several binders lining the shelves.

“Nope. Watch this!” Charlie excitedly exclaimed as she grasped onto the edge of the bookshelf and eagerly pulled. Lily gasped as the bookshelf swung out, revealing another room behind it.

“You didn’t tell me there were secret rooms here!” Lily giddily said as she turned to her fiancé.

“I don’t know where all of them are and didn’t really use them.” The moth demoness shrugged. “I almost forgot that there was one in here.”

“Al should have placed the pool’s contract in here. I both can and cannot believe that the architects accidently set their copy on fire.” Charlie ranted as she began to open the large safe in the back of the secret room. “And here we go….the folder is right-“ Her sentence was abruptly cut off as she reached for the vanilla folder labeled ‘Pool Contract’ upon spotting a long, black case propped up against the corner of the safe.

+++++++++++++++

“This is some damn good pie!” Angel complimented as he took another of the dessert, munching happily as he sat at one of the hotel bar’s stools.

“Why thank suga’, it’s an old family recipe my granddaddy taught me a long time ago. I’m just happy I still remember it and that it turned out okay.” Tammy said as she took a bite from her own slice. “What do you think Husk?” The she-wolf asked as she turned to the feline working behind the bar.

“Eh, it’s alright. I don’t particularly like sweet things, but it’s alright.” He grumbled.

“That’s probably the closest thing you’ll get to a compliment from grumpy cat over there.” Angel chided.

“Go fuck yourself.” Husk retorted to the spider, turning away to change the channel on the bar’s TV screen.

“Only if you watch me.” Angel teased.

“Is there no filter between the empty space in your skull to your foul mouth?” Alastor asked as he seemed to suddenly materialized on the empty bar stool next to Tammy. 

“Hey, he’s the one who’s cussing.” The spider demon said defensively.

Alastor ignored him as he turned to Husk, “Husker, my boy, the usual please.” He requested of the bartender.

“I don’t usually pry, but what’s got you drinking bourbon before 4 p.m.?” The cat demon asked while preparing the drink. Before he could dismiss Husk’s question three demonesses barged into the reception hall.

“You have a lot of explaining to do mister!” The blonde scolded her boyfriend as she approached him.

“Are you seriously still going on about that Angel dream?” He asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Uh, what?” The spider demon asked as he peered around Tammy.

“No! I was going to apologize for that because I realized I was being ridiculous, but this is something entirely different!” She huffed. To say that Alastor was confused would be an understatement. He had no idea what the angry demoness was throwing a fit about this time, that was, until he saw the long, black case Lily had in her arms.

“Where did you get that?” The Radio Demon hissed as a snapped his fingers. Before Lily could say anything, she nearly jumped out of her skin as inky tentacles wrapped around the case and flung it towards the Radio Demon’s direction. He effortlessly caught it as the area around him began to distort, making the demons nearby already feel even more uncomfortable as they witnessed the confrontation.

“I think we should eat our pie somewhere else.” Husk suggested as he urged Tammy to follow him out of the reception hall, Angel already out the door.

“Why do you have a gun in the hotel?! There’s a no weapons policy for a reason!” Vaggie yelled at the deer demon as she comforted her spooked fiancé.

“What an interesting statement coming from someone who seems to have an angelic weapon always on standby. I bet as soon as I get up from my seat your _weapon_ of choice will make its appearance, but that is a mere toothpick against me. It won’t stop me from refurbishing the walls with your-“

“ALASTOR! THAT IS ENOUGH!” His girlfriend yelled as they stared eye to eye. “Look, I’m not as mad for the fact that you have a gun in the hotel as I’m more mad that you didn’t tell me. Why do you have it here in the first place?”

“Answer me this, darling. Why were you looking through my belongings?” He questioned as the radio static around him angrily hummed.

“I wasn’t looking through your belongings. It was in our document safe.” She stated.

“Do I have to remind you that I don’t like liars.” He hissed as his hand grasped her lower jaw, slightly squishing her cheeks.

“Al, I told you.” She confidently stated due to the fact that she wasn’t lying and they both knew he wouldn’t actually harm her. “I found it-“

But before she could continue a certain despicable voice coming from the TV’s screen caught their attention.

“Our studio has just received a possible juicy piece of gossip!” Katy Killjoy eagerly exclaimed.

“That’s right! It seems our own little goody-two-shoes of Hell isn’t so innocent after all.” Tom Trench added as the title **ROYAL BASTARD** graced the bottom part of the screen.

“We have received recent images of our Princess and Queen leaving _Hellishly Damned_ earlier this afternoon, with our ‘morally righteous’ heiress sporting what looks to be a baby bump. Is she just eating more?”

“Or is she eating for two?” Her co-host chimed in. Images of Charlie, Lilith, Razzle, and Dazzle leaving the entrance of the store with their shopping bags appeared on the green screen.

“Ha-ha. That’s right Tom.” She stated as she dumped her hot coffee into his lap. “Which makes this even more interesting because I’m pretty sure there have been no announcements of a royal wedding. It’s anyone’s guess who sired this mess. In fact, we have a poll going on Screecher right now with possible guesses of baby-daddy.”

“That absolute bitch! ¿No tienen nada mejor que hacer?” The angry moth demoness grumbled.

Charlie stood there wide-eyed in horror. Her anger evaporating and turning into pure shock. Alastor was taken aback for a moment before his rage shifted, now directed to the news broadcasters on screen. His mind began formulating just how he wanted to readjust their organs and how delectable their agonizing screams would sound. He was about to disappear into the shadows and head over to 666 News when a loud bang sounded from the screen.

“What in the nine circles was that?” Katy Killjoy asked, her bones cracking and snapping as she stood up. The camera moved as the view was shifted from inside the studio to outside towards the parking lot. Everyone was not expecting what they saw next. A red Lamborghini laid in a crushed messed under a very large grand piano. The camera panned up and focused on two figures leaning over the top of the 666 News building.

“Oh, terribly sorry about the mess!” Mimzy called down.

“Those things are so terribly slippery!” Chirped Rosie at a furious Katy Killjoy.

“Who the hell are those two?” Questioned a confused Lily.

+++++++++++++++

“ I didn’t know they cared about us so much.” Charlie stated as she sat in Alastor’s office chair.

“I think they just wanted an excuse to knock Killjoy down a few notches. She certainly was getting a little too big for her britches.” The red demon said as he emerged from the secret entry way, carrying a few things out with him and placing them next to the gun case on his desk.

“What are those?” She questioned at the objects he placed on the desk.

“These,” he stated, “are memorabilia from when I was alive.”

There was a pouch with a deck of tarot cards, an old rusty microphone, beaded necklaces, and so many other trinkets.

“How were you able to get ahold of all this?” She asked.

“Lets just say that I took out an Overlord that possessed a copy of one of these.” He confessed as he laid a rather large book down on the desk. She truthfully wasn’t surprised that he had obtained one of those with how many Overlords he took down upon first entering Hell.

What really caught her attention was the black and white photo of a young man kneeling down on one knee, proudly holding up a deer by the antler. She instantly recognized the stranger by the smile that dressed his face.

“That’s you in the photo, isn’t it?” The demoness asked.

“And the only one I could find. But you see that Winchester there?” He continued. “Same one in the photo is the same one in this case.” He said as he unlocked it, revealing it to be the exact same firearm in the photo. “It’s just the heater, no shells.” He added.

“Alastor,” Charlie stated as guilt enveloped her, “ I’m sorry that I confronted you like that. I got so angry that you were hiding something from me and breaking one of the hotel’s policies-”

“I should have told you about it sooner, but it never came up. Moreover, you were being a bit hypocritical, my dear. You don’t really care when Vaggie brashly uses her angelic spear.” He interjected.

“You’re right. I haven’t been very fair about that.” She said as she felt the edges of the photo.

“And it wasn’t very fair of me to not believe you when you were telling the truth. It slipped my mind that I had Nifty clean in here a couple days ago. I adore her but she’s incredibly stupid.”

“I think the only coherent thoughts in her head are boys and cleaning.” She joked as she placed the photo back on his desk. “But in all seriousness, do you forgive me? For everything?” She asked sincerely as she stood up and walked towards him.

“I’m not going to forgive the incident this morning with the rude wakeup call easily, but I guess I can forgive everything else.” He stated as he lovingly caressed her face.

“And no more secrets?” She asked

“No more secrets.” He agreed as he pulled her in for a hug.

“I’m surprised you didn’t leave to go join Mimzy and Rosie.” She commented as she held him close.

“This needed to be settled first and those two would have already knocked her off the roof several times before I would have gotten there. I doubt Killjoy has any fight left in her.” He mused as he ran his fingers through her blonde locks.

“Vaggie said that they took that stupid poll down, but it was still aired live everywhere. Can we just stay in here forever?” She mumbled into his chest.

“I’m not too enthused about what’s waiting outside for us either. I’m never going to hear the end of it from Mimzy about how she found out.”

“My dad knows. I was hoping to postpone seeing him again until I finally redeemed a sinner….but I guess that’s not happening.” She said as she glanced down at her phone sitting on top of the desk next to the gun case. She had to turn off her ringer as the screen never stopped lighting up. Several text messages from exes who were very confused, four missed calls from mom, and one missed call from dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note- Happy Friday sinners! I hope you’ve enjoyed this super early chapter that’s over 3x longer than what I usually write. You can thank my campus going completely online and my weekend plans getting canceled. Writing this fic is honestly my biggest stress reliever right now; and I’m so grateful to have found this platform and just enjoy sharing the weird story ideas I conjure up with you guys. There will most likely be more surprise updates to come. Have a wonderful weekend sinners and I’ll see you either next Friday or the following Friday with the next chapter. No matter what part of the world you’re from please stay safe and healthy out there. Love you all <3


	13. Blame It on Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Tis about to be deer season up in here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

“Where did I go wrong? Charlie, apple of my eye, and rose bush of my garden…has turned into a complete laughingstock! Where did we go wrong?” The King of Hell asked his Queen as they rode in their private limo to their daughter’s hotel. To say that Lucifer was taking the abrupt news about his daughter’s current predicament poorly was an understatement. Lilith held her husband close in an attempt to coddle his distress away.

“To be fair, my love. She does take after you. Stubborn as hell, puts on a show whether it’s intentional or not, is disobedient towards her father-“ Lilith joked.

“Enough, I get the picture.” Lucifer said, not at all amused as he pulled away from her embrace.

“Although, I partially blame myself for this mess. I didn’t think we would be followed. I should have been more careful.” The horned demoness sighed. “I should have urged her to tell you sooner.”

“My heavenly,” he said as he took his wife’s hand and placed a chaste kiss on the back of her hand, “magnificent,” he continued as placed another chaste kiss but this time on her cheek, “Queen. None of this is your fault. It’s that cocky, self-conceited Overlord’s fault.”

Lilith quickly pulled her hand away. “You will not cause a scene while we are there.”

“I should have erased his soul the second he thought involving himself in our apple dumpling’s silly little project was a good idea.” He seethed.

“Surprisingly enough, he’s actually very supportive and sweet towards our daughter.” The horned demoness stated as she glared down at her husband.

“I hardly believe that.” He scoffed.

“That’s because you’re never around! You and Charlie need to pull your heads out of your asses and makeup already. This is getting ridiculous! I agree that the hotel is absurd, but it makes her happy. Isn’t it our job to make sure she has the opportunity to be happy? What kind of parents are we if we crush her dreams?”

“We would be responsible parents!” Lucifer exclaimed. “She needs to learn that the world isn’t full of ‘puppy dog kisses’ and ‘cotton candy dreams’. And if she wanted it to be that way, then she should have just stayed at the palace.”

“Now whose fault is that? I certainly wasn’t telling her how wonderful and great heaven is, and how ‘puffy wuffy’ the clouds are. I wonder where she got those ideas from? Hmm?” She asked him as he refused to look her in the eye. “And she isn’t as naïve as you think she is. Can’t you be proud that she’s been able to keep her own business afloat for the past four years? That’s the longest she’s stuck with anything.”

“I still don’t support our little apple pie’s decisions. Not the hotel, not her choice in partner, and certainly not the situation she’s gotten herself in.” Lucifer stated matter-of-factly.

“Your majesties, we’re here.” The driver of their limo announced.

“You. Will. Behave. Yourself.” Lilith reminded her husband before they exited the vehicle.

+++++++++++++++

“You’re sure you got this Charlie?” Vaggie asked.

“We can stay a little longer.” Lily offered as she helped Razzle and Dazzle arrange the silverware on the large dining table.

“That’s really sweet of you both, but I think it’s best if it’s just Al and me. It’s just dinner with my parents. Go home you guys. I think we can handle it from here.” Charlie said.

“Let us know if you need anything. I know seeing your dad is pretty stressful on you.” The moth demoness offered as she placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Vaggie.” She said as she squeezed her friend’s hand. “And thank you both for helping me with the hotel today.”

“Sorry we didn’t really give you much of a day off though.” Lily apologized as she finished arranging the cups on the table.

“It’s okay. Now get out of here, my parents are going to be here any minute.” Charlie smiled as she ushered them out of the dining room.

She kept the smile on her face until they walked out the door. Once they left, the demoness pulled herself out a chair and plopped down, folding her arms over the table and laying her head down. _It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay,_ she thought to herself. Charlie was suddenly pulled out of her mantra when she felt a little hoof nudge her thigh. She turned to see Razzle nudging her leg with his hoof, Dazzle standing next to him as they looked up with concern at their mistress.

“I’m fine guys. Just a little stressed out.” She smiled as she petted the fur between their horns.

“I was able to let Vaggie and Lily out of the barrier, but overall there’s been no sign of any pesky reporters. Rosie and Mimzy must have spooked them off after the number they did on Killjoy.” Alastor said as he walked into the dining room. Worried that there was going to be a further nuisance from the public, Alastor had placed a barrier of thick, inky, tentacles around the parameters of the hotel. While he was setting up the barrier; Charlie, Vaggie, and Lily ushered everyone upstairs to their rooms, telling them that dinner would be served via room service and to not enter the first floor until further notice.

“Well that’s a relief.” She sighed as she shooed her goat servants out of the room to go assist the chefs in the kitchen. The demoness then slumped further into her seat, turning her attention to her phone as she glanced at the single missed call from her dad.

“What’s eating you, sweetheart?” Her boyfriend asked as he leaned over the back of the chair to look down at her.

“I’m just really not looking forward to this dinner.” Charlie stated as she looked up at her lover. “I don’t really feel like being told that I’m a failure. All I’ve ever wanted was to prove to my dad that I’m not a complete screwup; that I can actually make a difference here. I don’t want to hear how I’ve spent four years working on my dream….and nothing to show for it.” She stated as she tossed her phone onto the table. 

“I wouldn’t say they were for nothing. You’ve certainly provided me with the best entertainment of my damnation.” He mused as she glared up at him. “Okay, okay. Not the time for bad jokes. But try to smile, my dear, and look around you! Look at the well-oiled machine you’ve built up and the number of wayward souls you’ve been able to bring in. That’s not nothing.”

“But none of them have been redeemed.” She sighed as she looked down, her hand absentmindedly playing with the white frills of the new shirt she had purchased just earlier that day with her mom. “No one has been redeemed…….and _this_ certainly complicates thing.” She stated as she rested her hand over her fifteen-week bump. “Why couldn’t you have stayed smaller for just a little longer?”

“I don’t think it works like that, sweetheart.” He said as he massaged her shoulders. “You could say they’re running out of womb.”

“Didn’t you just say that this isn’t the time for bad jokes?” She said with irritation in her tone as she swatted his hands away. Charlie knew that he was just trying to make her feel better, but it wasn’t helping her nerves. Before he could begin to assault his girlfriend’s patience with more corny jokes, one of his shadow puppets alerted him that their guests had finally arrived.

+++++++++++++++

The first thing Lilith did upon seeing her daughter was envelope her in a tight hug. “I know on the phone you said you were fine, but are you really honey?”

“I could be better, but I’m alright.” Charlie stated as she returned the hug, at least she was glad to see one of her parental figures. While mother and daughter shared a quick hug, there was a milli-second of a stare down between the powerful Overlord and the King of Hell before the Radio Demon turned on his charm.

“Why, welcome to our establishment your majesties! Lilith, that dress makes you the bee’s knees. Is it new?” He asked, referring to the beautiful purple evening gown she was wearing.

“Why yes, it is. I actually just bought it today during Charlie and I’s shopping trip. Aren’t you charming as ever, Alastor?”

“And it’s a pleasure to see you again, Lucifer.” He gave a quick bow.

“Can’t say for certain that it’s a pleasure to see you again, especially under these circumstances.” He would rather the circumstances be the cocky bastard’s head shish-kabobbed on his apple cane. The Queen may be easily swayed by the Radio Demon, but Lucifer knew better. A sly kick from his wife reminded him to mind his manners.

“Hey… It’s nice to see you again, dad. H-how have you been?” Charlie asked as she approached her father.

“Angel-face, what have you gotten yourself into?” His voice filled with concern, laced with a tone of disappointment. _So we’re starting this right off the bat,_ she thought to herself.

“I-I uh…” She started to say before Alastor butted in.

“I hope you two are famished! Our chefs prepared a lovely Italian themed feast this evening. And the food should already be done and on the table. Now what type of poison would everyone like to drink tonight?” The deer demon asked as he ushered the group into the dining area.

_This is going to end horribly,_ Charlie thought quietly to herself.

+++++++++++++++

“Have you two been seriously thinking about what we discussed a couple months ago? About making it official?” Asked Lilith after she sipped some of her viognier.

“Mom, this relationship is official. We don’t need a flimsy piece of paper to prove that. Plus, I don’t think we’re ready for that.” This had to be one of the most uncomfortable, if not **the most** uncomfortable dinner Charlie had ever been a part of. They were barely a few bites into their rigatoni and she already wanted to hide underneath the table.

“So you’re not ready for the commitment of marriage, but you are ready to bring a child into Hell?” Lucifer butted in, prepared to heavily scrutinize his daughter and make her rethink her decisions. “Does this mean you’ll be giving up this excuse of a rehabilitation center soon?”

“N-no. I’m not going to give up on my dream, or on my clients just because of this.” Charlie responded.

“So what’s the plan, honey crisp?” The King questioned. “You plan to ‘safely’ raise a child here with your kidnappers, cannibals, murderers, and pedophiles?”

“There’s no need to worry about that.” Alastor interjected. “It has always been our policy here since day one to never admit sinners who have committed crimes or sins against children. One of the terms and conditions of mine that had to be established before I would co-sign on this project. I honestly never particularly liked, nor tolerated, those who prey on the completely defenseless.”

_Never thought a cannibalistic serial killer would have any ethics; especially you_ , Lucifer thought in surprise to himself. “How do you plan to raise this child and run the hotel?”

“We’ve already got that covered.” Charlie stated confidently.

“We’ve hired a new assistant a couple months ago, and she’s agreed to take over Charlie’s position temporarily while she’s on maternity leave. Moreover, Vaggie has also agreed to step in occasionally on her days off from her editorial job to help fill Charlie’s shoes.” The red demon mentioned as he added more venison meatballs to his plate. He felt quite starved with having to summon and keep a rather large barrier up.

“So what about after maternity leave?” The King quickly asked.

“Well, Al does have some experience with childcare and I don’t necessarily plan to work full-time like I do now. We’ll also most likely hire a nanny if we absolutely have to.” Charlie answered.

“My schedule may usually be busy, but don’t forget that your father and I would love to babysit.” Lilith added.

Lucifer decided to switch tactics.

“Apple pie, it’s good to hear that you have, for the most part, figured out how you’re going to handle this mess, but why are we in this mess in the first place? What were you thinking?”

“Well, over a year ago we both found out that we both had mutual feelings for each other that was more than just friendship and-“ Charlie began as she avoided the question she knew he was actually asking.

“No, no, no. Not your relationship. How are you pregnant?”

“Lucifer!” His wife angrily scolded while Alastor practically choked on his venison.

“Like you’re not curious about this too? Charlie honey, you’ve always been good about your birth control. And you,” he pointed at Alastor, “I thought you were sexually dead.” There was so much misconception about asexuality packed into that statement, and Charlie did not feel like unpacking that during this already nerve-racking dinner. At this point, she wanted to crawl underneath the table and hide for eternity more than ever.

The fallen angel felt his rage that had already been simmering since he first saw the news broadcast begin to boil over. “So tell me, why are we in this mess?” He said as he directed his question and anger towards the Radio Demon instead of his daughter. “Is this just a new version of entertainment for you? Another manipulative game to play to ease your boredom? Getting on this silly project wasn’t enough, so you decided to play house?” He questioned as he stood up and slammed his fists on the table. “A way to control and have leverage over my daughter, and by extension the rest of us?”

As he continued to fire off question after question, three pairs of brilliant white wings began to sprout from his back. The seams from the back of his dress shirt and suite could be heard tearing as they grew longer and wider. The massive angelic appendages made the Queen have to get out of her seat and step away as the wings knocked over nearby chairs as they expanded.

“Dear, what are you doing?” Lilith asked her husband. _Well there goes civility,_ she thought to herself.

“I blame you for this mess!” Lucifer directed towards Alastor. “How about I save us all the trouble and wipe you from the plane of existence right now!”

It was at this moment that the red demon knew that his options and chances of survival were very limited. He needed to think of a way to diffuse and get out of this situation quickly; or else Charlie would end up a single mother.

“Wait! Dad, stop!” Charlie yelled as she quickly stood up and partially leaned in front of her boyfriend in an attempt to protect him. “He does more than help me run this hotel but is also always there for me. More times in these past four years than you have. And it’s not his fault. That night….what happened was-“

“You’re right. This is a hundred percent my fault.” Alastor said coolly as he too stood up.

“Say what now?” His girlfriend asked as she gave him a confused look.

“It was a night of passion between two consenting adults and preventative measures slipped our minds. It was a complete accident; however, I take full responsibility.” Alastor continued.

Lucifer was taken a back for a moment, he certainly wasn’t expecting that.

_I thought you didn’t like liars?_ Charlie thought as she cocked her eyebrow in Alastor’s direction. Charlie almost didn’t catch the subtle look he gave her that conveyed the message “ _play along”,_ but luckily, she caught it.

“Dad, I know what you’re trying to do,” Charlie spoke confidently towards her father, “and I can tell you right now that’s it’s not going to happen.”

“And what am ‘I trying to do?” He asked her, starting to feel that his wife may be right about their little apple pie shedding some of her naivety.

“You want me to abandon this hotel and this baby. You want me to leave Alastor.” She continued. “You want me to return to the palace and walk away from my home and my family-“

“But we are your family, Charlotte.” Her father said as his wings slightly drooped at her statement. His anger ebbing away and forming into an empty ache in his chest.

“You are still my family dad; however, my family has gotten quite a bit bigger since leaving the palace. And I’m not just talking about this baby, which by the way, isn’t all Alastor’s fault. I’m pretty sure it takes two people to make a child. And I also know it’s hard to believe, but he treats me like how you treat mom; nothing but respect and love.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come back home? It’ll be like this never happened.”

“I’m positive, dad.” Charlie confirmed.

“Are you sure I can’t evaporate him into oblivion?” Lucifer asked, only mildly joking.

“Honey, it couldn’t be more clear that this is a loving, happy relationship. And more importantly, she’s happy here. Now can you put those away, so we can finally finish dinner like a civilized family.” Lilith scolded her husband as she gently pushed on one of his wings.

+++++++++++++++

The rest of the evening still played out awkwardly, but at least no one’s existence was in danger anymore. They waved goodbye to her parents as the Queen and King of Hell loaded into their private limo and drove off the hotel’s premises. The couple finally let out a sigh of relief as they felt weight come crumbling off their shoulders that they didn’t realize they were carrying.

“It’s a pity that you can’t dip the bill with me, sweetheart. I could go for about half a bottle of whiskey right now.” The red demon stated as they reentered the hotel. 

“Alastor, why did you lie about that night?” She questioned him.

“As much as I would love to see your father obliterate Angel, it would also mean I would be wiped out of existence as well.”

“What do you mean?” The demoness asked.

“You have to understand, that for quite a while, even I believed that I had taken advantage of you.” He said as he reached for her hand.

“But you know by now that you didn’t. You know that I consented to what we did that night….If anything, it was me taking advantage of you.” Charlie responded as she squeezed his hand.

“Sweetheart, we both know that this mess is that dope fiends fault, but my point is that if we tell your parents the whole truth, Lucifer will immediately believe that I forced myself on you because I was drugged. The final nail in the coffin that he seems eager to nail. And I would also not want to fall from your mother’s graces, her liking me is helping keep your father on a leash.” Alastor reasoned.

Charlie honestly did not think of that. Before she could explain her side of the story her trigger-happy father would most likely successfully end both her lover and her friend; believing that they had been a part of rape crime against the princess that she knew did not happen….to her. Her heart still ached for Alastor. He may have said that he wanted to move on from that night; however, she still couldn’t get over that his choice to decide that night was taken from him. Another reason why she couldn’t force him into marriage, no matter how pushy her mom was about the topic. She didn’t want to take anymore choices away from him. If he wanted to make this choice about not telling her parents, then she would stand behind that decision.

She gave his hand another small squeeze before looking up at him. “It’s okay, I understand. They don’t need to know the personal details anyway.”

“Thank you for understanding, darling.” He said as he brushed her hair away from her face before placing a kiss on her forehead. “But we really should do something about our spider problem.” Alastor suggested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: You may be wondering, "what are you waiting for, Alastor?" And hopefully this chapter explains it okay. Don’t worry my lovely sinners; Lilith and Lucifer will eventually know the truth before the end of this fic, but it won’t be Charlie or Al who will spill the beans. Furthermore, this fic might be closer to 30 chapters, instead of 25 like I first thought (whoops), so hopefully you guys are on board for that.
> 
> Moreover, I hope I’ll finally finish some of my art pieces soon so you guys can have some visuals accompanying the story. 
> 
> See you all either next Friday or the following Friday since my academic schedule is picking back up again. And as always, please leave a comment because I love to hear what you guys have to say, how I can improve my storytelling, and just being able to connect with my readers. Thank you all <3


	14. The Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

The hotel’s normal schedule that day was put on hold for the very special occasion. The vast front yard of the hotel had a long white carpet leading from the front doors down to a beautiful flower canopy that served as an altar. Both sides of the makeshift carpet walkway had rows of chairs for the large number of guests attending. The couple were surprised that they knew so many people between the two of them and were overjoyed that so many accepted the invite; however, there was one denizen of Hell that was absolutely blacklisted from the couple’s list.

“You’re absolutely certain you don’t want Angel to be here? He seemed a little bummed about it this morning.” Charlie asked as she continued to brush out the knots from the moth demoness’s silky white hair.

“He should have known that he would be instantly uninvited when he decided to bring drugs to my engagement party. _Qué cabrón_. What was he thinking?” Vaggie exasperatedly expressed.

“Well, he thought he was doing me a favor but-” the blonde started to say as she worked out a particularly large knot.

“Ow!” Vaggie winced at the sudden harsh tugging.

“Sorry, sorry! I’ll try to be more gentle.” Charlie frantically apologized before going back over the spot a little more gently.

“It’s fine. But, when it comes to Angel, you should have let Alastor have a little more fun mauling him over and over again.” Charlie and Alastor may have agreed to keep the specific details from her parents a secret, but that did not mean she couldn’t disclose this information to one of her closest confidents she had gained over the years.

“You know I can’t do that. He’s still my friend and one of my patients. And since then he has been on his best behavior, and he’s been helping with the hotel more. Plus, I think he’s been punished enough.” She tried explaining while finally untangling the large knot as painlessly as she could. “I don’t know how Al got all of the blood stains out of the hardwood….and I don’t really want to know what he did with all of those extra limbs.” Referring to when Alastor first found out who tampered with his drink.

“I’m grateful that we won’t be dancing on a bloody dance floor tonight.” Vaggie joked before her tone turned serious, swiveling her chair around to face her friend. “Are you sure you’re okay about letting this go? Because I have a new double-ended extermination blade that can be Angel’s new butt-plug.” She offered. 

Charlie smiled and rolled her eyes at her friend’s crude offer to help. “Now that the dust has kind of settled I just want to move on and _try_ to enjoy this pregnancy. And I thought we recently talked about how hypocritical it is of me to enforce the ‘No weapons’ policy on everyone but you.” The blonde pointed out.

“No worries there. I actually left all of them at home.” The moth demoness truthfully claimed. “But let me know if you ever want to take me up on the offer.” She quickly added.

“Thank you, Vaggie.”

“So, how is your pregnancy going? You doing okay?” Vaggie questioned as she motioned her hand towards her friend’s 17-week bump that seemed to be getting steadily larger every week. 

“That’s why I put an emphasis on the word _try_.” Charlie answered, already thinking of a way to deflect from the topic. Not because she didn’t want to talk about it, but because she didn’t want to take anymore focus away from her friend’s very special day.

Before Vaggie could tell her friend that she thought she looked beautiful in her knee-length, dark red dress or ask further about what she meant by _“try”,_ Charlie eagerly stated, “Oh, I almost forgot! One last thing.” She swiveled her friend’s chair back around to face the vanity mirror before picking up the beautiful pink lily off the table. The flower was placed and secured in the demoness’s white locks, completing her wedding attire.

“It’s absolutely perfect.” Vaggie smiled in awestruck as Charlie placed her hands on the moth demoness’s shoulders. Upon studying their reflection in the mirror a strange, small wave of melancholy overcame her. “Four years ago did you think we would be here today?” Vaggie questioned her ex-turned-dearest-friend.

“Not in a million years.” Charlie answered truthfully.

“You know, it’s sometimes strange how quickly things change. You’re going to have a kid in five months and I’m getting married to a horned demoness that isn’t you. Not what I envisioned happening over four years ago.” Vaggie commented as she squeezed one of the pale hands resting on her shoulder.

“Yeah, I thought it was going to be the two of us saying ‘I do’ to each other at the altar too back then.” She responded as she met Vaggie’s glance in the reflection of the mirror, returning the soft squeeze.

“Do you regret how everything turned out?” Vaggie surprisingly found herself asking.

“Despite some of the unfortunate things that have happened; no, I don’t regret any of it. You?” The blonde asked her friend.

“Even though I was initially sad when we broke up and went our separate ways for a year, I’m glad we were able to still be friends in the end. You were the first person who was kind to me when I arrived here. You loved me and gave me a home. _Querida amiga_ , you gave me hope. So, thank you Charlie, for everything.” She said with a soft smile on her face as she turned to look up at her friend instead of looking at her via the mirror’s reflection.

“And thank you for being the first to believe in me when no one else did. This hotel would be nothing but still a wishful dream if it wasn’t for you. Your friendship is truly a gift and that can never be replaced.” Charlie smiled as she leaned down, wrapping her arms around her friend’s shoulders. The blonde demoness felt tears prick her eyes but managed to hold them back as she said, “So, thank you Vaggie, for everything.”

+++++++++++++++

Before leaving the women’s restroom Charlie made sure that none of her makeup was smudged from the cry-fest she almost had earlier. Once satisfied with her appearance, she exited the woman’s restroom and headed back to Vaggie’s makeshift dressing room. _I think my bladders been shrinking_ , she bemoaned to herself, _but my feet have definitely gotten bigger_ , she added as she felt the tip of her black flats squishing her toes while walking down the hall. _I can’t wait for you to finally be here,_ her thoughts continued as she placed her hand on her abdomen, _but until then can you be a little kinder to my body?_

She rounded the corner to head back to see if her friend needed anything else. Everything was pretty much ready to go for the wedding ceremony starting soon, but she decided to provide Vaggie with a little more company before the event started. Before she could continue down the hallway she bumped clumsily into a familiar tall figure.

“Nice to run into you, dear.” Alastor commented as he made sure she was steady on her feet.

“Literally.” She snorted. “You okay? I bumped into you pretty hard.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”

“Yeah, but I kind of feel like a wrecking ball.” She admitted.

“Doll-face, you’re not that big.” He pointed out.

“Not yet,” she sighed, “but I’m getting there.” Charlie stated before taking notice of her boyfriend’s attire. “Well, aren’t you looking dapper?” She motioned towards his nice suite, complete with coat tails and top hat. 

“Nifty fixed up the old thing, the sweetheart. Almost forgot that it existed.” He said as he straightened his bowtie. “You ready to head outside with everyone else?” He offered his arm to her so they could walk arm-in-arm to their seats out front.

She was used to the red pinstripe suits he usually wore as well as his button up dress shirts and suspenders when he wanted to dress more “casual”. So, he always dressed nice, but seeing him like that along with the influx of her raging hormones stirred something within in.

“D-do you wanna have a little fun first?” She whispered quietly while leaning in close, as to not be accidently overheard by guests and hotel staff still milling about inside the hotel.

“Are you asking me to partake in some afternoon delight, my dear?” He curiously asked while arching an eyebrow.

“Maybe.” She shyly whispered as a deep blush danced across her cheeks. 

Alastor, not surprisingly, was all for satisfying his girlfriend’s needs and to fulfill her sudden urges. The surprising part was that the tentacles were making an appearance less often. After their first (fully consensual) time together he now had a better understanding what Charlie was actually craving several months ago. It dawned on him that sex isn’t just a physically stimulating experience. While that certainly was a nice perk, he discovered something that made him desire to want to love her again, and again. Being so vulnerable in his angelic love’s embrace and sharing something so private and intimate for only her doe-like eyes to see, made him almost believe he was accidently sent to heaven. Chasing away any previous feelings of sexual repulsion only when it came to the small demoness in his arms. Which made him feel awful for depriving her for so long, even though he didn’t realize that he was at the time. In his defense, he couldn’t miss what he never had. But now, he was happily making up for it.

Although, he wasn’t expecting her current urge to lead them into the cleaning supply closet off the first-floor hallway, with her friend’s wedding ceremony about to start very soon. As soon as the door was shut behind them Charlie didn’t hesitate gently pushing him against one of the shelves as she reached for his face, pulling his head down so her lips could connect with his. Her hands didn’t stay at his face for long as they made their descent down his chest, reaching their destination at his belt buckle. Alastor cupped the back of her head near the top of her neck as he deepened their kiss. His other gloved hand trailed down the side of her waist to her ass, gently giving it a playful squeeze as she finally finished undoing his belt and unbuttoning his pants.

+++++++++++++++

Nifty walked down the hotel’s first floor hall as she searched for the missing Princess of Hell and the Radio Demon, with clear instructions from a worried Vaggie to find them. The short cyclops was quick on her feet as she scoured the area, calling out for the couple as she searched. She was eager to find them knowing that the sooner she found them, the less likely the ceremony would be delayed, and the sooner they could get to the reception. Which she was ecstatic to start already, looking forward to dancing and flirting with all of Vaggie’s cute male coworkers.

She was about to head upstairs to start checking the other floors when a noise from one of the doors she was passing by caught her attention. Nifty stopped dead in her tracks as she raised her eyebrow and stared quizzically at the supply closet door. Hesitantly, she turned the doorknob and poked her head inside, scanning the small space and finding no one.

When Nifty shut the door and finally left, Alastor whispered to the demoness in his arms, “As much as I would love to spend the rest of the day in this cramped space with you, my dear, I believe the jig is up.”

Mostly due to her boyfriend’s quick thinking they had ended up on the top empty shelf closest to the hinges of the door, effectively hiding in the shadows. A feat he hastily pulled when he saw the door opening, and he wasn’t kidding when he said the space was cramped. Charlie had to lean over and bend slightly to her side so her abdomen wouldn’t get squished. Although, if anything, it was Alastor who was compressed the most. Charlie was quick to get down from the shelf as soon as the cyclops left, not wanting to continue crushing a certain body part belonging to her boyfriend that was still out on display, which she knew was probably super uncomfortable for him. But she knew his legs probably had it the worst. 

They cleaned up quickly, Alastor grabbing his top hat and bowtie from the shelf across from the one they had been hiding in while Charlie attempted to fix the bun on top of her head. They both agreed to continue this later and swiftly exited the hotel from one of the side doors, taking their seats in the front row next to Tammy, Husk, and Nifty. The feeling of guilt sunk in for Charlie as she realized they had missed Lily walking down the aisle. A couple seats down from her she could hear loud sniffling and someone blowing their nose harshly.

“Tammy, is everything okay?” She asked with concern.

“Don’t mind me, suga’. I always get teary-eyed at weddings.” Luckily, her loud sniffles kept her from hearing the uncomfortable exchange about to take place next to her.

“Next time, lock the door.” Nifty stated flatly as she side-eyed Charlie.

“What?! I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She claimed in a flustered tone, as she tried but failed to play it cool despite the evidence that her elegant bun had turned into a messy bun since the last time anyone saw her, and Alastor’s attire seemed to be slightly disarrayed.

“I visit that cleaning supply closet several times a day. You don’t think I wouldn’t notice a certain top hat I fixed up earlier this week sitting inches away from me next to the Lysol?” 

“You’ve got to be shitting me? At a wedding no less ya fuckin’ nasty freaks.” Husk reprimanded with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Just keeping it classy.” The red demon joked as he pointed finger guns at Husk.

And with that Charlie placed her head in her hands and begged for the ground to open up and swallow her whole as the color of her face began to match the color of her dress. The universe seemed to have heard her pleas to end her suffering and gave her a break as Vaggie’s bridal entrance song started playing.

“Oh.” “Here she comes!” “She’s gorgeous.” “Look!” Voices from the seated guests rang out.

_♪_ _♫ Ohhhhhh... the bride is here._

_She's waited for this day for many a year._

_For this day, for this day._

_Our hopes and our pride._

_The bride is here._ _♪_ _♫_

Vaggie felt her heart flutter as she steadily walked down the aisle towards her future. She didn’t even notice Charlie’s tomato hue face as all of her focus was directed towards the beautiful face of her smiling soon-to-be wife.

_♪_ _♫ Here comes the bride(3Xs). Our bride._

_For this day, for this day will last forever_

_And all of her friends will work together._

_To make it the perfect day she's always dreamed._

_Our hopes and our pride._

_Our bride, our lovely bride._ _♪_ _♫_

Lily almost forgot to breathe as the owner of her heart and all of her love joined her under the hanging flowers at the altar.

“You look stunning. The flower is a nice touch. ” Lily whispered quietly.

“Thank you. You look beautiful too, _mi amor_.” Her bride whispered back as she took in the view of Lily’s white, lace-patterned wedding gown. And with that, the ceremony started.

+++++++++++++++

The reception hall was elegantly lit with softly illuminating string lights and burning candles. And with the beautiful theme of a garden for the party it was truly an aesthetic scene to behold as the guests watched the newly wedded couple have their first dance.

_♪_ _♫ I love you too much_

_To live without you loving me back_

_I love you too much_

_Heaven's my witness and this is a fact_ _♪_ _♫_

The Radio Demon, not very interested in watching the couple dance and twirl each other about the dance floor as much as the other party-goers, let his mind wonder as he leaned back in his chair, taking a swig of his bourbon. He first fantasized the many different ways he wished he could torture and kill the six-limbed coke fiend; still not very particularly ecstatic about his girlfriend’s wishes to not do anything else about Angel. Even though that pest nearly caused his second death due to a certain unhappy King of Hell. So for now, the best he could do was allow his imagination take over.

If he tried to rip the porn star limb from limb again, but this time attempted to quickly cauterize the gaping holes where his limbs were, would they still regenerate? Would the spider taste better boiled alive or deep-fried? If he gutted him like a freshly shot deer, could he prove to Charlie that there were no such things as rainbows inside demons.

Charlie.

He turned to look at his girlfriend as she happily watched the newlyweds. The red demon’s usual Cheshire cat grin turned into a genuine smile as he watched her be mesmerized by what was going on the dance floor, delight on her face.

_♪_ _♫ I know I belong_

_When I sing this song_

_There's love above love and it's ours_

_'Cause I love you too much_ _♪_ _♫_

He shifted his gaze from his charming demon belle to the dancing couple. Beginning to imagine it was him and Charlie instead. Alastor never once thought during his entire mortal life, nor during his damnation, that he would turn into such a sap and become dizzy over a dame. But alas, here he was, fantasizing over such things as he returned his sights back to Charlie, his gaze trailing down to her rounding stomach. As much as he wanted to, it just wasn’t the right time. 

Alastor was pulled out of his thoughts as the sound of a chair scooting back grabbed his attention.

“Hey, Husk. Can you be a dear and help me bring the cake out from the kitchen? It’s pretty heavy and the chefs all went home for the night.” Tammy asked as she got up from their table, needing help with wheeling out the large wedding cake she helped bake. She would have already brought it out before the party moved to the reception hall; however, it was a very large cake and she was worried that it would take up too much space. With a grunt as his response for confirmation Husk got up and followed the she-wolf to the kitchen, an excited Nifty trailing behind them with hopes to try to steal some icing. 

_♪_ _♫ You live in my soul_

_You heart is my gold_

_There's love above love but it's mine 'cause_

_I love you_

_There's love above love and it's yours cause_

_I love you_ _♪_ _♫_

The female singer Vaggie and Lily hired increased her tempo as the couple danced faster and faster, as if they were oblivious to the onlookers around them and it was just them in the entire world. Charlie sighed as she placed head in her hands, a starry-eyed look in her eyes as she watched. She was officially enjoying the wedding festivities now that she had eaten some dinner, and the fact that Nifty didn’t bring up the little fiasco from earlier again. The blonde demoness was very grateful for that.

Charlie turned her head as she suddenly felt as if someone was carefully observing her. She was surprised, yet at the same time not, as her eyes connected with her boyfriend’s gaze. “What are you so intently looking at?” She smiled at him.

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are, darling?” He asked as he trailed his hands through her long blonde hair. Before the reception started, Charlie had given up on her bun and ditched her hair tie all together. Her locks now flowed down her pale shoulders and back in curly waves from being tied up all day. And from the soft glow from the candle at their table, Alastor thought she looked like an absolute goddess. Too pure and heavenly for his wretched soul or for Hell.

Charlie’s face matched her dress for the second time that day as she looked away, but before she could start stuttering a loud bang coming from the reception hall’s doors averted hers, and everyone else’s, attention.

The loud bang was from the doors swinging widely open and hitting the wall as a humungous cake was wheeled in. The two beings moving the cake were not Tammy or Husk, but two female imps wearing chef outfits. A third imp appeared from behind the absurdly large cake with a boom-box in her claws. She smiled wickedly as she pressed play.

“What in tarnation is going on here?” A confused Tammy asked as she, Husk, and Nifty emerged from the other side of the hall, exiting the kitchen doors and bringing out a large but modest wedding cake. They didn’t have to wait long before the music from the boom box blared and the three imps ripped off their chef outfits to reveal black leathered stripper uniforms.

_♪_ _♫ Step inside_

_Walk this way_

_You and me babe_

_Hey hey!_ _♪_ _♫_

Everyone was nothing short of shell-shocked as more skimpily dressed female imps emerged from the towering cake. The icing on top of this ‘what-the-absolute-fuck’ moment was when the tip of the mountain of cake suddenly burst open, revealing a devilishly smirking Angel Dust.

_♪_ _♫ Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on_

_Livin' like a lover with a radar phone_

_Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp_

_Demolition woman, can I be your man?_ _♪_ _♫_

He emerged from the peak, making his way down while shaking and dancing to the song with the imps, wearing his own skimpy leather outfit. When he finally reached the ground he licked the icing coating the inside of one of his forearms all the way to his pointer finger as he locked eyes with Husk from across the room. The cat demon shuddered and looked away as he grimaced, although, some of the other guests were enjoying the unexpected show and thought it was part of the celebration.

_♪_ _♫ Pour some sugar on me_

_Ooh, in the name of love_

_Pour some sugar on me_

_C'mon, fire me up_ _♪_ _♫_

Charlie sat there just as stunned as half of the other guests as she watched the disaster unfold before her. Alastor on the other hand…….was laughing like a hyena dying on laughing gas. _Oh the entertainment! It’s almost too much!,_ he thought to himself as he thrived on the chaos. The Radio Demon felt like he was going to combust from all of the hysterical laughing as he observed Vaggie on the verge of having an aneurysm as Angel shook his money-maker for all its worth, the letters SUGAR printed on the ass of his outfit. Oh he brought the sugar all right. It was the first time Alastor was grateful that he didn’t obliterate the obnoxious spider demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Greetings and salutations sinners! I’m back baby! And congratulations to our newlyweds. I hope I didn’t troll you guys too bad with that chapter title and opening, but in all fairness this wedding has been foreshadowed since the first chapter. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to see our angry little bean have a (sort of) happy ending? So, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and my attempt at drawing Vaggie on her wedding day.   
> I would also like to make an important announcement. I want to continue making longer chapters that are more thoroughly thought out. So, instead of weekly chapter releases it will most likely be every two weeks (but who knows since I’m always so eager to release them early).   
> Furthermore, I hope this helps to confirm that our murderous deer boy is Charlie-sexual in this fic.  
> See you all in next chapter! Love you all<3


	15. This Is How We Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

“I think it’s sweet you’re so concerned about me Tammy, but I feel fine. If I get too warm I’ll hop into the pool.” Charlie stated, barely keeping the agitation out of her tone, hoping the she-wolf would take the hint.

During the first trimester Tammy had been a huge help when it came to her early symptoms of fatigue and morning sickness. However, as she started entering her second trimester and began showing more the brown-furred demon became…..well, Charlie didn’t know how to describe it except as a few notches below ‘excessive’. She thought that maybe it was because Tammy just deeply missed her son and that Charlie’s pregnancy woes were bringing up old memories for the she-wolf. So, she allowed it to slide in hopes that letting Tammy in on her journey would get her to open up more during her therapy sessions. Over the past few months the brunette had been supportive when it came to everyone else’s problems during Friday’s group therapy sessions but was quiet when it came to her own. Which is fine since she had only been staying at the hotel for the last three months; however, she still refused to discuss her sins during private sessions.

“Are you sure you don’t-“ Tammy’s sentence was immediately cut off as she felt an arm unexpectedly drape across the back of her shoulders.

“Why Tammy, a little birdie told me that you enjoy singing to others’ songs. We’ve set up one of those machines up on the second-floor balcony if you would like to try it out.” Alastor mentioned.

“…..a karaoke machine?”

“Yes, that’s the word! How about you go up there before Nifty ruptures our eardrums with her questionable Elvis impression.” He suggested while turning her towards the hotel.

“Well I was-“

“Oh, I bet you have such a lovely soprano voice. And I think I saw a few singers’ names on that machine that you’ll enjoy.” That caught her attention.

“Dolly Parton?” She asked excitedly.

“Whatever your heart desires.” The red demon smiled, the she-wolf already bolting inside the hotel towards the second floor and away from the pool party.

“Thanks for saving my butt.” Charlie softly smiled as she came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his thin waist and leaning her head against his shoulder. “I appreciate her advice and concern, but lately she’s been a bit much. I was so close to snapping on her.”

“Maybe I should have let you suffer for a little longer, my dear.” He stated as he gently loosened her grasp around him.

“Oh come on, I think you look adorable.” The blonde demoness complimented, referring to the pink and white striped men’s vintage swimsuit he was wearing. Charlie honestly thought that he did look quite appealing in his attire, but then again, she thought he looked good in practically anything. But the best part about this outfit was there was nowhere for his deer tail to hide. “And a deal is a deal.” She teased.

+++++++++++++++

1 hour earlier…..

_Charlie looked out her window from her private suite as she observed the last of the extra outdoor furniture being arranged beside the pool and the karaoke machine being set up on the balcony below. After several weeks of planning and construction the pool was finally functioning and swimmable, which was a blessing considering how unbearably hot and humid today was turning out._

_She continued looking out of the window as she procrastinated putting on her swimsuit. Even though her mom told her that maternity swimwear is supposed to be stretchy, she was still a little anxious to wear it. Three weeks ago when she tried the black, one-piece, swimsuit that had ruffles around the chest it fit nicely, even the black swim skirt that came with it hugging her widening hips looked nice on her. Charlie took her mom’s word at the time that she looked cute in it. But now, with her stomach a little rounder she felt a little more self-conscious._

_Turning away from the window she picked up the silky, smooth fabric from her bed and traced her fingers over its ruffles._

_“Are you planning not to swim today, sweetheart?” A radio filtered voice made her slightly jump, dropping the fabric back onto the bed._

_“Ah fuck! Don’t do that. Do you want me to miscarry?” She scolded her boyfriend._

_“I didn’t mean to spook you, my dear, but I did knock twice before entering.” Alastor pointed out as he placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her._

_She felt her racing heart slow down to its normal pace as she turned around to face him. “Sorry I didn’t hear you. For some reason I keep spacing out……and seem to misplace anything I pick up and set down. Have you happen to see where I placed the ultrasound pictures from my last appointment? And my phone is missing too.” She noted._

_“That’s actually the reason I came up here.” He said as he snapped his fingers, the device materializing in his hand. “You left it again on the dining table.”_

_“Thank you, it feels like I’ve been losing my marbles lately.” Charlie said as she took the phone. “Were the pictures on the table too?”_

_“No, I haven’t seen them since yesterday, but I can have my shadow search for them in the meantime.” He offered._

_“That would mean a lot to me, thank you.” She softly smiled before standing up on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek._

_“No problem, sweetheart.” He smiled back at her as he sent his demonic shadow on the requested errand. “Also, you didn’t answer my previous question. The swimming hole opens soon, why aren’t you in your bathing attire yet? I thought you would be pretty excited about today?” He questioned her._

_“Well, you see, the thing is,” she rambled as she placed her fingertips together, “I’mworrriedthatI’mnotgoingtofitinmyswimsuit.” She mumbled quickly._

_“Play that back to me, dear.” He requested as he cocked his head and placed a gloved hand to his ear._

_“I’m worried that I’m not going to fit in my swimsuit….and that I’m going to look like a beached whale.” The embarrassed demoness added._

_“Well how do you know if you haven’t tried it on yet?” He asked as he gently grasped one of her pale hands in one of his gloved ones. “And to be honest, my lovely demon belle,” he started to say as he kissed the back of her hand, “I think you look positively swell in anything.”_

_“You think I look swollen in everything!” She gasped as she yanked her hand away._

_“Swell not swollen, darling! You look great, amazing, gorgeous.” He listed off, beginning to think that maybe there was something screwy going on in his girlfriend’s head after all._

_Charlie quickly realized that she had accidently misheard him. “Oh shit, sorry Al. Maybe I’ am losing my marbles. I should probably make a call to Dr. Vex about it after the pool party is over.” It was then that she suddenly got a devious idea. ‘If he wants me wear my swimsuit so badly, then he’s going to wear his too’, she thought to herself._

_“Which I intend to fully be a part of, dressed in the proper attire…..on one condition.” She smirked._

+++++++++++++++

So, that’s how nearly every hotel resident was properly dressed for the pool’s grand opening on this hellishly hot day under the red hue sky. Well, nearly everyone was in their bathing suit.

“You missed a spot over there.” Vaggie called out from the giant pool floatie her and her wife were reclining back on as they sipped their strawberry margaritas. The demon she was barking orders at was no other than Angel Dust, dressed in a red polo shirt with **_Hazbin Hotel_** labeled on his left breast pocket and modest black shorts. He thought he looked absolutely atrocious.

“No I fucking didn’t. How about you get off your ass, take the pool skimmer, and clean what only your wonky eye is seeing.”

“Not my job.” She quipped as she dipped one of her legs into the water and used it as a rudder to turn the pool floatie away from the spider demon, cuddling closer to her wife. She took another sip from her drink, enjoying the sweet taste before the hint of alcohol left a nice burn going down her throat. The moth demoness rarely, if ever, drank. But decided to take Lily’s advice about relaxing more, which was much needed since the little fiasco Angel caused last week.

He sighed as he ran one of his four hands through the white hair on top of his head, still feeling the marks on his forehead Vaggie ‘lovingly’ left when he had surprised visited. _You would think she would be a little more appreciative that I had brought some cake and a show,_ he thought to himself. Well, she showed her appreciation alright.

By stabbing him.

Several times.

In the forehead.

With a metal fork.

Lily had to bust out her vines in order to pull her bride off the skimpily dressed spider before Vaggie could take out both of his eyes in her fit of rage. Luckily, Charlie was able to quickly snap Alastor out of his laughing hysteria and got him to help kick Angel and the rest of the exotic dancers out. The Radio Demon, for once, didn’t want Angel to leave the room. Mostly because he was enjoying watching Vaggie lose it as she mercilessly attempted to mangle the spider’s face with a dining utensil. But not wanting to ruin one of his best days in Hell so far, he bided his girlfriend’s wishes and got his shadow puppets to roughly escort the wedding crashers out, cake and all.

Afterwards, Nifty quickly cleaned up any remaining frosting on the ground and everyone was served a slice of the actual wedding cake…….after they all got Vaggie to calm down of course.

Angel grumbled to himself as he dipped the pool skimmer at the surface of the water and collected some floating debris. He had followed Charlie’s rules hadn’t he? The deal was no men or drugs unless he wanted to face Alastor’s wrath for the rest of his damnation. But when he came back home after the reception was long over, he faced a not-so-happy Charlie. And that’s how he was still invited to the pool party…..but he had to work as a pool boy. No drinking, no swimming, no lounging, and no playing. Just working under Hell’s hot pentagram sun to keep the pool clean and serve the guests in this unappealing outfit.

As he was beginning to think that his punishment couldn’t get any worse, country music erupted down from the second-floor balcony.

_♪_ _♫ Why'd you come in here lookin' like that_

_In your cowboy boots and your painted-on jeans_

_All decked out like a cowgirl's dream_

_Why'd you come in here looking like that_ _♪_ _♫_

Lilith hummed to the appealing tune as her dark purple stilettos made contact with the pool deck, her hips swaying as she made her way to the outdoor lounge chairs where her daughter and friends were sitting. She was oblivious to the stares and head turns she caused as she continued to hum to the tune.

_♪_ _♫ Why'd you come in here lookin' like that_

_In your high heeled boots and your painted-on jeans_

_All decked out like a cowgirl's dream_

_Waltzing right in here lookin' like that_

_Why'd you come in here lookin' like that_

_When you could stop traffic in a gunney sack_

_Why you're almost givin' me a heart attack_

_When you waltz right in here lookin' like that_ _♪_ _♫_

“You look absolutely amazing mom.” Charlie smiled at her mother as Lilith placed her beach bag down and began to set up her things on the pool lounge chair next to her daughter’s.

_How in the world are those two related?_ Rosie thought as she glanced between mother and daughter. One wearing a cute skirted one-piece swimsuit and who’s usual physic could be compared to a bean pole, and the other a very tall horned demoness wearing a risqué dark purple bikini that hugged her very curvy figure. How was this little doll related to a succubus?

“Look who’s talking? Didn’t I tell you that you would look adorable in that outfit.” The horned demoness complimented her daughter.

“Lovely to see you again, Lilith, how was your concert last week?” Alastor asked from the other lounge chair beside her daughter.

“Oh, it was a huge hit. Standing ovations and request for an encore as usual.” The Queen stated as she finished spreading out her beach towel on the lounge chair and picked up her tanning lotion. “I know you two are usually quite busy with the hotel, but I would love it if you guys would come to a RESIST concert sometime. After the baby is born of course.”

“If they don’t want to go we can certainly take their tickets.” Mimzy spoke up from her lounge chair beside Rosie as she peered from over her sunglasses.

“Oh, I almost forgot to introduce you guys to each other. Mom, this is Mimzy and Rosie. They’re longtime friends of Alastor.” Charlie motioned over to the two demonesses lounging on the other side of Alastor. Lilith noted that they wore swimsuits that went out of style a century ago; however, she did have to admit that they did pull them off well. 

“Pleasure to finally properly meet you, my Queen, quite the pleasure.” Rosie smiled at her as she stood up from her lounge chair and walked up to Lilith, parasol in hand, giving a slight curtsy.

“Haha. I’m flattered, but you don’t need to do that.” Lilith smiled back. “I think I’ve heard about you before. You own Franklin & Rosie’s Emporium don’t you?”

“It’s just been Rosie’s Emporium for the past few years now, but yes.” Rosie responded as she looked away and gestured her hand as if she was swatting a fly away, all while still smiling. 

“Well I’m glad to finally meet the lead singer of RESIST, have you ever heard of The B.O.P before?” Mimzy butted in as she appeared beside Rosie.

“Oh dear goodness.” Rosie mumbled as she closed her eyes, slightly bowed her head down, and placed her fingertips to her forehead. Mimzy certainly had no shame when it came to self-promoting her establishment.

“It kind of rings a bell.” Lilith admitted.

“It’s a swanky little night club not too far from here that pulls in quite the crowd. I assume a fine twist like yourself wouldn’t mind stopping by for a free meal, a bit of giggle water, and the chance to have a spot on stage for one night.”

“I’ll speak with my agent and try to work something out, but no guarantees just yet.” Lilith politely responded.

“Hey! It’s nice to see you again, Lilith!” Lily called out from the pool.

“Why, if it isn’t the newlyweds!” Lilith called back as Vaggie and Lily’s large pool chair floatie floated up beside the group. “I’m so sorry I missed the wedding,” the Queen said as she sat down by the pool’s edge, “but I already rescheduled that concert three times and didn’t want to disappoint my fans again. Did you guys receive my wedding present?”

“Yes, we did, and all I have to say is thank you so much, but how can we possible accept it? It’s just way too much.” Vaggie commented.

“Mom, what did you do?” Charlie asked as she sat up from her lounge chair.

“She gifted us with the greatest honeymoon ever, that’s what she did!” Lily exclaimed as she practically bounced out of the pool floatie.

“She payed for us to go on a week-long cruise on the S.S Charon that tours the river Styx. That’s like _loco_ expensive.” The moth demoness claimed as she tried to make sure her tipsy wife didn’t tip them over into the water, margaritas and all. 

“That’s really nice of you, but why would you do that?” Charlie questioned her mom.

All Lilith did was shrug as she coolly stated, “It’s my money. I can do what the hell I want with it.” She said before standing back up. “And no, you guys can’t return the gift.” She smirked at the floating couple before deciding to go grab herself a drink.

+++++++++++++++

Rosie tried to focus on the next chapter of the novel in her hands; however, the events in front of her seemed so much more amusing at the moment. She took a sip of her ice-cold Rickey, served in a red plastic cup instead of a highball glass, which made her drink disappointingly taste off but she wanted to be a good guest and bid by the heiress’s rules of no glassware on the pool deck. The demoness always held herself as a respectable lady. Prim and proper no matter the circumstances, unlike her more showy, short lady friend who seemed to be yearning to be blipped off the map at the moment. Rosie set her book down as she watched the other demons play a game of ‘Marco Polo’. She was surprised when Alastor agreed to join in since he didn’t particularly liked to be touched, but it was probably because of the puppy-dog eyes his moll was giving him. How the most non-threatening demon in Hell; _if you can even consider her a demon,_ Rosie chuckled to herself, turned her dear Alastor into such a sap, she’ll never know. _But I think these past few years have been the most genuinely happy I’ve ever seen him,_ she noted. _Not menacing grins meant to show off power and dominance, but real and authentic smiles._

She turned her attention away from Alastor and back to Mimzy, who was gradually sneaking up behind the deer demon with one wicked intent in mind as she crept closer while his eyes were shut. Rosie put her hand up to her mouth in an attempt to repress the chuckle trying to escape as she watched the show before her unfold.

The Radio Demon’s head snapped 180 degrees around as he opened his eyes to find the short demoness sweetly smiling up at him, red fluffy tail clasped in both of her hands.

Rosie couldn’t help but let the chuckle behind her lips escape as she watched Mimzy go from trying to reason with him that she never gets to see the cute appendage out on display, to that he better not do anything because she didn’t want her hair to get wet and her makeup wasn’t waterproof.

Which were all void as he showed her no mercy.

Mimzy shrieked as she was chucked into the deep end of the pool. Her hair falling apart in a sopping mess and her makeup running.

“What is that one phrase the new generation has been saying, Mimzy? Oh yes! Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!” Rosie almost unladylike snorted as she busted out in a fit of giggles as she watched Mimzy angrily grumble and make her way to the ladder.

“Ya need a refill there, toots?” A voice beside her broke her out of her fit of giggles as she recognized the six-limbed pest that Alastor seemed to despise so much.

“Ha! No.” She menacingly grinned at him as she got up from her seat. “You don’t think I haven’t heard what you’ve done, you pro skirt wop? I think I would rather go refill my own drink.” Rosie hissed, subtlety hip checking him as she passed by on her way to the bar, not noticing that Alastor’s patience was about to be tested again as another blonde demoness tried as stealthy as she could to sneak up behind him.

He felt pretty done with the whole game and was about to turn around and head towards the ladder when he felt another pair of small hands on his tail. The Radio Demon whipped his whole body around, more than looking forward to turning the pool’s clear water red before he locked eyes with the fool who thought toying with him would be a good idea while he was already seeing red.

The eyes he locked with were the wide, doe-like eyes of his Charlie as she smiled up at him. The demonic grin didn’t leave his face as his radio static still lowly hummed while he hoisted her into his arms bridal style.

“You’re lucky your knocked up or you would be joining Mimzy in the deep end. Now, I suggest you hold your breath and close your eyes, darling.”

And she did just that, accepting her punishment as he quickly dunked her underwater before swiftly bringing her above the surface. _Totally worth it,_ she thought to herself as she heard his radio static begin to fade away.

“Sorry, but I’ve been holding doing that all day and was kind of bummed that Mimzy beat me to it.” She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Do you know how hard it was waiting until you weren’t expecting it?”

“Happy you got your wish?” He asked, his demonic grin slowly receding to his normally dressed smile, shifting her weight to lean more on his right arm as he used his left to move her wet bangs away from her eyes before he returned his left arm to support the weight of her legs again.

“Well I can certainly say that it’s out of my system.”

“I highly doubt that.” He replied as he leaned up against the pool wall, the game long forgotten already after the incident with Mimzy.

“Hmm. Maybe you’re right. But you know, we wouldn’t be acting like this if seeing your tail wasn’t such a rare occasion. Why don’t you modify your clothes to show it off more?” She curiously asked.

“Can’t exactly strike terror into the hearts of sinners with a fluffy deer tail now can I, sweetheart?”

“But we already know how big, bad, and scary you are.” She said, trying not to come off as mocking. “So, why don’t you only show it off around the hotel?”

“Would not hiding it keep you from grabbing it and pestering me about it?” He inquired as he readjusted the demoness in his arms.

“I give you my word as the princess and heiress of Hell.” She affirmed. “And I know that you’ve put up with a lot from me today, so I also promise to make it up to you later. Any movie you want tonight, even a slasher flick. Plus,….” She glanced around before leaning up to whisper what she planned to do with her second favorite appendage of his later that night.

“Better make good on that promise, then.” He mischievously grinned at her as he slyly slid his left hand further up her leg, giving her ass a playful squeeze.

“Later.” She giggled as she placed a small peck on his nose before wiggling out from his grasp and swimming away towards Vaggie, Lily, and Lilith. He watched her with longing eyes as she swam across the pool. Once she safely reached her destination he decided that he was done with the pool for the day.

“When will you make her your frau already, Alastor?” Rosie curiously questioned her dear friend, looking up from her book, refilled Rickey in hand. “If her mother is willing to lavish two acquaintances imagine what she would fork out for her little princess.”

“You know that it’s never been about money, Rosie.” The red demon stated as he grabbed his black stripped towel from his chair before drying off, starting with his ears. “And,” he started as he glanced over his shoulder back at the blonde demoness chatting and laughing over by the far shallow end with her mom, Lily and Vaggie, “if I ask her now she would believe that I would be doing it for all the wrong reasons. I don’t think I could take it if she rejected my proposal.” 

_♪_ _♫ But don't tell my heart_

_My achy breaky heart_

_I just don't think it'd understand_

_And if you tell my heart_

_My achy breaky heart_

_It might blow up and kill this man_ _♪_ _♫_

“Will you stop with the goddamn white hick music already!” Yelled Angel up to the second-floor balcony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I hope everything flowed smoothly and connected nicely. I know there were quite a few scenes between so many characters, and lots of chatter. But I’m so glad that this chapter did its job of tying up the loose ends from the last chapter and start the beginning of a new plot line I’m adding into this lovely mess. Plus, my OC’s need to contribute to the plot already.  
> And boy am ‘I starting to love Tammy a little more. She’s my excuse to sprinkle in so much of my love for country music <3


	16. Done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Beginning Notes: PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING: Mentions of non-consensual sex trigger warning ahead involving a side character when the story changes to all italics. 
> 
> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

**Hazbin Hotel Patient Admission Form**

**Sinner: Tamara M. Lynn **

**Date of Death: May 16, 2021 Age at the time of Death: 26  Sex: F  Preferred Pronouns: She/Her**

**Have you committed any crimes/sins against minors?: No**

**Do you consent to a background check?: Yes**

**Will you commit to group therapy every Friday at 2 p.m.?: Yes**

**Will you commit to once a week private therapy sessions that you will schedule with your assigned therapist?: Yes**

**Do you agree to abide by all Hazbin Hotel’s rules?: Yes **

***Go to pages 2-4 for additional details and terms***

**Why have you chosen to be admitted into Hazbin Hotel?**

**Redemption is my only chance left to bring my happiness back.**

**Date Approved: January 20, 2023  Approved By:** ** Charlie Magne **

**Date of Admission: February 2, 2023  Patient Signature: ** ** Tamara Lynn  **

** Only for Hotel Staff Use: **

****

**Autopsy Report Summary**

**Manner of Death: Accident**

**Cause of Death: Smoke inhalation leading to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest.**

***Important Note: Large traces of methamphetamine was found in the deceased upon time of death.**

**Documented/Reported Crimes: June 23, 2009 - 1 Count of Shoplifting**

**September 16, 2011- 1 Speeding Ticket**

**August 9, 2012- 1 Count of Underage drinking**

**November 22, 2020 – 1 Speeding Ticket**

**Suspected Sins: Stealing**

**Heavy drug and alcohol abuse**

****

Charlie examined the document in front of her as well as Tammy’s documented therapy notes from her therapist. She was determined to get Tammy to open up during today’s group therapy session….even though today might not be the best day to do that. The reason being, just earlier that day, Charlie had finally snapped at the she-wolf.

She could understand Tammy’s excitement; even Charlie herself was ecstatic about the little kicks and movements she felt, but boundaries needed to be established. Nearly every time the two were in the same room together it always led to the she-wolf ‘groping’ Charlie’s growing bump. Which the blonde demoness discussed with her that she wouldn’t mind if she were to ask first. And she did ask most of the time, but this morning the she-wolf accidently did it without thinking. Charlie probably wouldn’t have snapped; however, she didn’t get enough sleep last night, worsening her already fogged pregnancy brain and her mood.

To add to her already bad mood the ultrasound pictures were never recovered. Alastor’s shadow came back with squat. They concluded that maybe Nifty or one of the maids accidently threw them out, but she swore that she didn’t. Despite Nifty proclaiming her innocence Charlie couldn’t help but doubt the little cyclops as her latest ultrasound pictures from her last appointment also went missing, Al’s shadow coming back with squat again. Charlie concluded that her sleep deprived, fogged brain was officially making her go crazy. Dr. Vex was able to give her copies and advised her to stop drinking so much water before bed to see if that would help keep her asleep throughout the night. And that did help….until her child decided to take up gymnastics in her pelvis.

She sighed and allowed her body to sink into the plush red chair, taking a quick glance at the clock on the lounge room wall as it read 1:30 p.m. Only thirty minutes until everybody came downstairs and attended their session in one of the many first floor lounge rooms. 

Charlie glanced back down at the six vanilla folders in her hand. Which meant six files, six demons in her group this week, and six stories to discuss; but only five were opening up about their stories. And she still hadn’t come up with a game plan to get Tammy to open about hers, and she was beginning to doubt that she would be able to today.

A loud rumble of thunder cracked across the sky as lightning struck close by, briefly lighting up the room with blinding white light, making the demoness slightly jump. It was a rare occasion when it rained down here in Hell, but when it did it would hit hard. Heavy downpour, bright but beautiful lightening dancing across the darkened red sky, and very loud thunder. Which wasn’t just startling Charlie.

“Good to know your hearing and reflexes work.” Charlie softly smiled as she looked down and placed her hand on the side of her stomach, the little one kicking up their own storm. “It’s okay. I don’t like it when it storms either.” She said as she continued to rub her hand over the spot. “But after it storms like this, we have the most beautiful rainbows appear that I can’t wait for you to see. Al- your dad,” she corrected herself, “thinks it’s silly that I get so hyped up about them, but he’s the one who’s really missing out.” She rambled on as she continued to move her hand around her 25-week bump, finding it to be rather soothing as the random kicks went from being spastic to more focused where her hand was. “I also can’t wait for you to see your new room, granted, you’ll be sleeping in my room for awhile but your nursery is almost done. I painted so many rainbows, clouds, and puppies on your bedroom walls, I hope you love it. Although, most of your furniture is red and black. The room really clashes.” She pondered for a moment. “I guess a color scheme would be easier to decide on if we knew what your gender was, but I want it to be a surprise. Your dad is kind of hoping you’re a boy, but I could care less.”

The sound of a door opening brought her out of ramble as Lily entered the room, pushing in a cart filled with cookies, napkins, lemonade, cups, and Charlie’s latest craving of apple juice. The horned demoness’s skin was a couple shades darker and her freckles really popped out after her weeklong honeymoon with her wife. Now she was back at the hotel and ready to get back into a regular schedule again.

“I bet my marigolds are loving this right now after that long drought we’ve had, although, I’m still not much of a fan of the weather here.” Lily commented as she grabbed herself a cookie and began to pour a cup of apple juice for Charlie.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what was the weather like where you’re from? Upstairs I mean?” Charlie asked as Lily handed her the drink.

“Oh no, I don’t mind at all.” The horned demoness stated as she took a seat next to Charlie. “I sometimes forget that you’ve never lived a human life and that you’ve never seen a sky that wasn’t red.” Lily added as she took a bite of her cookie. “Which upstairs is usually very blue during the day when it’s not storming or cloudy. It’s definitely a much different color palette compared to down here.” She said in between bites.

“What was it like?” Charlie inquired, curious to hear about a world that wasn’t so heavily saturated with reds and pinks.

“Well,” she thought for a second as she got comfortable in one of the closest chairs next to Charlie in the makeshift circle Razzle and Dazzle had arranged earlier with the chairs, “blue skies for one. And orange sunsets that would add a gold hue to everything in the evening. But now that I’m thinking back on all of it, I think I kind of miss the color green. New growth in the gardens, freshly cut grass during the summer, blooming flowers in the spring, and weekend farmer’s markets.” Lily said, sounding a little sad as she dusted the cookie crumbs off her lap. “But I have a little garden going on back at the apartment and so many potted plants. Vaggie and I even have names for each one.” She smiled. “It’s not much compared to what I once had, but it’s something.”

Charlie listened intently as Lily discussed the little tidbits of her mortal life. “That all sounds really amazing!”

The facial expression Lily made next was not one Charlie was expecting. The picture Lily had been painting seemed like a happy one, so Charlie was a little confused as she saw the sweet, freckled face demoness’s face fall and grimace. “It actually….really wasn’t. Despite what I’ve said about missing the colors…..living was my hell.” 

+++++++++++++++

_For as long as she could remember_ , _she always thought girls were pretty. The first time she heard the term ‘crush’ she immediately thought of one of the brunettes in her first-grade class. She would get the sensation of butterflies in her stomach every time she thought about sharing her gummy bears with the girl during lunch or holding hands with her at recess. During those early years of childhood, Lily was happy. But then her family moved, quickly joining a new church along with the move. And she soon learned that in her zealously religious household, a girl having butterfly feelings for another girl was unacceptable. Wanting to appease her already strict parents and be accepted by her church, she hid that part of herself for almost the whole duration of her life breathing among the living._

_But she was pretty sure that was not what ended her up in Hell._

_Lily considered her life to be normal. She attended the school near her home that her parents wanted her to attend, where the rest of her church’s children went, she earned good grades, was a part of the gardening club, came home on time, participated in her church’s nightly ceremonies, and kept up with her chores. The only thing she considered ‘not normal’ were the weird looks and stares she would get when her and the other members from her church walked into town. She talked to a few nice people outside her family and church every once in a while; however, some people weren’t very nice. Murmurs of ‘crazy plant people’ and ‘children of the corn’ would reach her ears, those comments she ignored._

_She had her botany lectures to keep herself busy and productive, she had her plants, and she had the tightknit love and sense of community with her church. She should be happy? Right? However, everyday she felt more and more like she was only going through the motions. Wake up, make her bed, pray at the still very much blood-soaked, ivy covered shrine, tend to her garden outback, attend lecture, visit the gardening club, study, be home by exactly 5 p.m., eat dinner with mom and dad, dress in the dark purple robes, go to church, sing at mass and listen to the holy prophet preach his words of wisdom, slaughter the small animal on the sacrificial alter, make sure to leave a small cup of the new blood on the shrine after cleaning off the old blood, shower and get ready for bed, say goodnight to mom and dad, sleep eight hours, and then rinse and repeat. A life she felt like she was becoming more and more detached from, losing faith in day by day, hiding behind a smiling mask that everything was fine._

_Lily may have been losing her faith and trust with her own wants and identity, but she still had faith and trust with her parents. Their rules had always been considered to be the equivalent to the laws of the Gateway Society’s scripture. That’s why, shortly after her twenty-first birthday, she didn’t say one opposing word when they told her that the prophet’s son really liked her._

_Lily initially didn’t really have much of an opinion of him. She had gotten to know him during church related activities and mission trips, overall, she thought of him as okayish, she certainly wasn’t attracted to him. But her parents seemed ecstatic about the new development and the Gateway Society immediately approved, so to appease them she allowed him to court her and take her out on dates._

_As the months wore on and their one-sided relationship continued, she never saw the red flags, never could have predicted what would eventually happen, and didn’t see how she could have prevented it with how her parents had raised her._

_She didn’t think it was strange when he came over when her parents were gone on one of their many mission trips that weekend, so devoted to the prophet and the Gateway Society’s goals. The young man sometimes visited her doing those weekends just to say hi or to bring her a bouquet of flowers, which would then lead to her letting him in and treating him to some tea made from ingredients from her garden. They would chat, like usual, discussing their classes, their future date plans, church activities, etc. And when he asked if she wanted to watch a movie he brought over, one of the few their church approved of, she said yes, feeling comfortable sitting on her living room couch to watch The Happy Painter with him. But her sense of comfortability vanished when he sat unbearably close to her, their legs touching each other, with one of his hands tracing the inside of her thigh. She mumbled that it was too warm in the house for him to be sitting so close to her and attempted to scoot away. She did not expect for him to roughly grab her wrist._

_What followed next, was something unspeakable._

_Looking back, she should have broken the church’s rule and gone to the police, or told someone, done something, done anything instead of going through what she did next. Something snapped within her that day. She felt so done. Done with her parents, done with being denied by her religion that dictated who she could and couldn’t love, done with being controlled, done with him, and done with the life she was living._

_So she met up with him the next day, giving him a little taste of her homebrew with ingredients from her garden that made him just a little sleepy. So sleepy, in fact, that he slept through being turned into blood mulch for her daisies._

_She was planning on drinking the rest of the homebrew but something within her made her stop. For once in her life she had taken charge of her situation; she didn’t want to let someone dictate how to live her life. Not now and not ever again. She was going to run away, run away and live a life away from others’ controlling grasps._

_But she wasn’t able to run away._

_Lily was barely out her front door when the purple cloaked figures surrounded her. Their soft fabric fluttering like drifting butterfly wings, beautiful but silent as they enveloped her. Her anguished screams carried through the night sky as her parents watched on while the people she had trusted, cared about, and saw as family for so many years held her down, whispering the words ‘defective’ and ‘traitor’. Lily’s world briefly sunk into darkness after they forced her own fatal concoction down her throat, not registering the sacrificial blade they plunged into her heart as her world dimmed. Her conscious slipped as she felt literally nothing, her soul leaving her body, immediately tumbling down into Hell._

_So close to living a life she had only realized during her last day, yet just when she was barely having a taste of that freedom, the universe cruelly ripped it away from her._

+++++++++++++++

“I’m just glad that I’ve never once seen him down here. I don’t know if he went to Heaven or was exterminated, but I’m glad he’s gone…..even though, sometimes I find myself regretting that I took his life.” Lily said as she sniffled, tears smearing her mascara and running down her face as the other demons listened. Charlie handed her one of the boxes of tissues that they kept in the room, making sure to take a tissue for her own tears running down her face. 

“Whoah.” A gator demon sitting beside her said. “You’re one badass lady. Don’t regret taking out a scumbag like him either. You should have taken out those wackadoodles cultists called your parents while you were at it.”

She shrugged as she said. “It never crossed my mind to do that, but I never really cared or wanted to harm them. I know now that they were severely brainwashed.” Lily blew her nose before continuing. “But it still hurts to know that my fate would have ended up the same no matter what I did. Without hesitation, they would have chosen the society over me every time. They would have killed me anyway. Preferring to have a dead daughter than a gay one.” Some of the demons in the room gasped while Tammy and another demon responded with words of comfort.

“Oh Lily…” Charlie hiccupped as reached over the best she could she and hugged the horned demoness, tears flowing freely down her face.

Lily leaned into the hug and returned the embrace. “I’m so sorry to that I ruined today’s therapy session.” She sniffled.

“Girl, do you think we care?” A centipede demoness pitched.

“We don’t mind, suga’.” Tammy agreed.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a patient or not. This will always be a safe space.” Charlie soothed as she patted Lily’s back.

Even though she was crying, Lily found herself feeling a little lighter. Her wife now wasn’t the only one who knew her story, and through her salty tears there was relief. “Thank you, Charlie. I don’t know if the pain will never stop, but I’m honestly much more okay now than I’ve ever been.” She said as she pulled away from the demoness’s embrace, feeling a little bad that she had gotten a few drops of her running makeup into her friend’s hair. “I have a beautiful and kind wife who’s helped me understand who I really am, so many friends, actual real friends, and I can finally live the way I want to live.”

++++++++++++++

Charlie noticed that her eyes were still a bit red and puffy as she examined herself in her fogged bathroom mirror. _My parents may be a little whacky in their own way, but at least it’s never been to that extent_ , she thought as she readjusted her towel and began to brush the knots out from her wet, blonde locks.

“Boy, girl, straight, gay, trans, unicorn, or whatever you want to be, I’ll one hundred percent support you.” She said while she brushed her hair, taking a quick glance at her bump. “Well, everything except joining a cult. If you do you’re grounded for eternity.” She stated, only half joking. Once satisfied with her hair she grabbed her toothbrush, her mind drifting away from today’s earlier events to something a little more cheerful. Charlie began to hum a tune she had heard earlier that week but couldn’t quite remember where she heard it start replaying in her head.

_♪_ _♫ You're just too good to be true_

_Can't take my eyes off you_

_You'd be like heaven to touch_

_I wanna hold you so much_ _♪_ _♫_

She rinsed the toothpaste from her mouth and her toothbrush before going from humming to singing. Swaying her hips as she got into the imaginary beat.

_♪_ _♫ At long last love has arrived_

_And I thank God I'm alive_

_You're just too good to be true_

_Can't take my eyes off you_ _♪_ _♫_

It was then that she realized that she had forgotten to bring her pajamas into the bathroom with her. In only her towel she headed out into her bedroom, still absentmindedly singing to the tune.

_♪_ _♫ Pardon the way that I stare_

_There's nothing else to compare_

_The sight of you leaves me weak_

_There are no words left to speak_ _♪_ _♫_

Alastor looked up from his book, _Wining and Dining with Jeffery,_ as he watched his girlfriend walk- actually more like dance into the room with just her towel on. From his spot on the bed, he listened to her sing for a while as she retrieved clothes from her dresser drawers. Deciding to be more than just an observer, he snapped his fingers, the melody now playing from his microphone stand that was leaning up against the bedframe. 

_♪_ _♫ But if you feel like I feel_

_Please let me know that it’s real_

_You're just too good to be true_

_Can't take my eyes off you_ _♪_ _♫_

Charlie continued to hum as she picked out a pair of pajama shorts and a large t-shirt, barely even noticing that the melody wasn’t just in her head anymore. Or noticing the fact that she had an audience before she felt a pair of hands on her hips, swaying with her to the beat. She turned around and smiled, joining him in the unexpected duet. _When was the last time we broke out into song and dance like this?_ She thought to herself, dropping her pajamas as she reached for his hands, enjoying the way he knew how to instantly brighten her mood.

_♪_ _♫ I love you baby_

_And if it's quite all right_

_I need you baby_

_To warm the lonely night_ _♪_ _♫_

He twirled her around as they sang- well he was the one mostly singing. Charlie was more laughing at his antics and trying to keep her towel from slipping.

_♪_ _♫ I love you baby_

_Trust in me when I say_

_Oh pretty baby_

_Don't let me down I pray_

_Oh pretty baby_

_Now that I've found you stay_ _♪_ _♫_

Alastor wished he could twirl, spin, and launch her into the air like how they used to dance, but wary of her condition, he danced with her what she was capable of. Finishing their little duet by supporting her weight as he slightly dipped her, preparing to finish the last stanza of their duet. But before he could Charlie closed the distance, taking the words right of his mouth, leaving the mic stand to finish it.

_♪_ _♫ And let me love you, baby_

_Let me love you_ _♪_ _♫_

+++++++++++++++

Tammy softly hummed the melody her grandma would always love to sing during long car rides. Lately, she found herself singing or humming the tune quite a bit throughout the day. She honestly didn’t know why, maybe she felt a little more happy as of late? Although, she did still feel a little sad for Lily, the poor dumplin’, so she decided to retrieve her knitting needles and yarn and start a workin’ on a little something for her. _Maybe start a fixin’ something for the surprise baby shower as well_ , Tammy thought, knowing that was going to be here before she knew it. 

_♪_ _♫ You're just too good to be true_

_I can't take my eyes off you_ _♪_ _♫_

She hummed as she unlocked and opened the trunk at the foot of her bed, lifting up the heavy lid. Tammy scooted some of the contents around before finding the needles and yarn she was looking for, but before she picked them up something else caught her attention. Right next to her bottles of brown hair dye were the ultrasound pictures.

_♪_ _♫ You'd be like heaven to touch_

_I wanna hold you so much_ _♪_ _♫_

The she-wolf softly smiled as she picked them up, trailing her claws over the image.

_♪_ _♫ At long last love has arrived_

_And I thank God I'm alive_

_You're just too good to be true_

_Can't take my eyes off of you_ _♪_ _♫_

She placed the pictures back into the trunk before going back for her yarn and needles. The lock on the trunk made a satisfying click as she got up and prepared to start working on her knitting projects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you readers  
> And if it's quite all right  
> I need you readers  
> To please comment below
> 
> Okay, I swear I’m done with having so many lyrics in a chapter….at least for now. I hope you guys enjoyed this long chapter despite it having some more serious and darker content. I promise the next chapter will be much happier and have more fluffy moments, along with a sweet reveal. 
> 
> I also know this chapter primarily focused on Lily but please enjoy another one of my attempts at art; this one of Tammy that contains hints of her past. 
> 
> And if you would like to follow my shenanigans outside of AO3, or want to see my attempts at art a week early, then please follow my new twitter account LateNightLurker @LateLurker  
> See all you sinners in the next chapter<3
> 
> Edit- I saw that the handwritten signature part at the beginning if the chapter changed to regular text. And I don’t know how to change it back ☹


	17. It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

“Oh Charlie, darling, why are you so cruel to me?” Alastor feigned being wounded by her words as he leaned up against the doorframe to her suite, the backside of one of his hands on his forehead and the other hand a fist on his chest.

“Would you fuck off already!” Charlie exasperated, clearly not buying his melodramatic bullshittery as she glanced up from her laptop and could see him trying to slyly peer at her through one slightly cracked open eye.

Being 32 weeks pregnant her patience had been running a little thin; however, she had been getting more sleep ever since she practically begged in tears to Dr. Vex that she wanted her sleep back, feeling like she was on the brink of insanity with how fogged and forgetful her brain was becoming. After being prescribed a drug that was safe for her to take, and finally getting eight hours of sleep, the fog seemed to have been lifted. If she could Charlie would have jumped for joy…..if she didn’t have swollen ankles and still didn’t feel so physically tired all the time. So her boyfriend suggested that she try kicking her feet up and spend a relaxing day working from her private suite; however, he certainly wasn’t making her day relaxing. Instead of leaving her to work in peace his cheesy jokes, that she usually found quite funny and charming, were annoying the hell out of her, amplified by how much time they were spending together lately. The final straw being when she made the mistake of asking him to please place the package of vanilla wafers she had been munching on somewhere where she couldn’t reach, afraid that she would end up scarfing down the whole thing without realizing it. Thinking it would be hilarious he bided her request and put them where he knew she wasn’t going to be able to reach them.

He placed them on the floor.

“You motherfucker.”

“Why yes, yes I ‘am.” He retorted. Which were very stupid words to say as he narrowly dodged the decorative couch pillow she launched at his head, nearly smacking him in the kisser as he retreated towards the door, delighted smirk on his smug face.

Alastor did feel a little bad for teasing her, but only a little. It was entertaining getting these reactions out of her while he kept a watchful eye on her, making sure she didn’t head downstairs as Lilith and several of their friends were busy setting up the surprise baby shower on the first floor. However, he did have another reason for teasing her. 

+++++++++++++++

He was grateful when she was finally able to get a restful night of sleep, normally being an insomniac himself he knew how aggravating a lack of shuteye could be. But when it came time to snuggle with his beautiful demoness, he was not expecting her normal quiet breathing to turn into loud snoring. He attempted to mute the sound by distorting the air around her. And that did work…until he realized that he had to continue being awake in order to keep the noise barrier up.

Deciding that he wasn’t going to deal with that, he slipped away from her grasp and headed towards his room down the hall. It certainly felt strange sleeping alone again after nearly two years of waking up every morning with her small form curled up against his, but he thought this temporary sleeping arrangement would be better for the both of them. That was, until he finally passed out during the first night, only to wake up two hours later. His skin felt damp and he could hear the rapid thudding of his heart in his ears. And as he shot up he noticed that his mahogany board at the head of his bed had varying rough grooves etched into it from the antlers on his head, now stretched out a foot long on each side all gnarled and twisted. Scenes from his nightmare replayed in his mind. He was never the type of man to be spooked easily, but what he saw unsettled him. Quickly, he teleported back to his beloved’s room, relieved to find her still breathing…..and snoring. 

From then on he remained closely by her side, not sleeping very much over the last two months as she slept on, her snores reverberating in his sensitive eardrums while she laid completely passed out in his arms. She was so deep in slumber from the medication that his light touches didn’t perturbed her. So while he was bored, and annoyed that he was awake during this time, he would brush the hair away from her face and see how many kisses he could get away with placing on her soft cheeks before she would mumble something incoherent and lazily swat him away. He was thinking about doing it again; and maybe see what else he could get away messing with, when he felt something nudge against his stomach. The red demon looked down as he felt it again, confused before realizing that it was coming from Charlie’s swollen bump between them. _So you’re awake too?_ He thought.

Feeling curious, he glanced at Charlie’s knocked out face before slipping down lower on the bed, his head aligned with her stomach as his feet slightly dangled off the edge of the bed, using one arm to prop himself up. Cautiously, he placed one of his hands on where he had felt the nudge. When Charlie didn’t even stir from the touch, he gently nudged back. He had felt her bump before when she had insisted that he have a feel. And he had to admit, feeling the movement just underneath the thin layers of her shirt and skin was both adoring _and_ freaky. That line of thought certainly ran through Alastor’s mind as he felt the little nudger nudge back against his fingertips. _How can Charlie not be waking up to this?_ He thought to himself as him and the little nudger continued on with their game.

As he continued to gently press and feel over her firm abdomen he found himself gradually getting lost in his own thoughts, not realizing he was whispering them out loud. “I never thought I would fall into domestic life, honestly not quite my style. Didn’t think I would still be involved with this hotel sham for so long either.” He admitted before taking a quick glance up at the angelic face of the sleeping beauty drooling onto her pillow. “But I find your mother to be quite fun and entertaining.” He smiled as he redirected his gaze back to where his hand was still gently being nudged. “She’s also extraordinarily dear to me. I never thought I would care about someone so deeply again.” He quietly stated as thoughts of his own mother resurfaced. “Let me give you some advice sport, be a little kinder to your dear mom, you’ll only ever get to have one.” He paused as another thought occurred to him. “I guess that means you also only have one father.”

Even with Charlie he never discussed the past events of his human life very much, preferring to keep it buried. “I never met my old man,” he confessed as his smile faltered slightly, “but I promise you son, I’ll do whatever it takes to be there for you and to keep you safe, you and your mom.” He added as he glanced back up at Charlie’s sweet drooling face, remembering his nightmare. “Although, I don’t think we have to worry about that.” He said, in an effort to ease his own thoughts. “I don’t believe many would dare cross me. And your mom may seem soft, and believe me she is, but she’s certainly capable of packing a punch when she wants to, so I think you’re as safe as you can be in Hell.”

So that’s how Alastor spent most of his long, sleepless nights. Mumbling late night thoughts and singing random tunes that drifted into his mind as him and his little nudger continued on with their game. The next morning he would be both glad and slightly annoyed that Charlie seemed to be more awake and brighter after getting a good night’s rest. Leading him to tease her a little more than usual as a form of petty revenge, like he was doing right now as he watched her go back to angrily typing on her laptop as he stood a safe distance away by the doorframe. He was about to spout a few more jokes when one of his shadow puppets emerged next to him from the inky shadows, making sure to stay out of view from Charlie as it relayed the message that they were ready downstairs.

“What if I told you that I have a surprise up my sleeve so mindboggling amazing that it would instantly make your frown disappear.” Alastor grinned towards Charlie after shooing the shadow away.

“Is it a new boyfriend?” She quipped, not even glancing up from her screen. 

“Ouch.” He answered as his phantom microphone audience responded with a shocked “oooh” sound. It was then that he realized that he may have been going a little overboard with his jokes and teasing as of lately. Alastor made his microphone stand disappear before cautiously approaching the unhappy demoness. “Look, sweetheart,” he said as he took the empty spot on the couch by her feet, “I’ve realized that I may have overdone it with the teasing, but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t like you so much.” All he heard was the hard tapping of computer keys as her response. “Charlie,” the red demon started as he placed his gloved hand on one of her nicely shaped gams, even more nicely shaped with being hugged by one of the pairs of leggings she had been wearing a lot recently. He was surprised that she didn’t pull her leg away as he continued, radio filter severely dialed back, “ you know I don’t mean to upset you, doll-face. It’s never my intention to make you sore, but I think with how little shuteye I’ve been getting lately I’ve been taking it out on your patience instead.” That seemed to have gotten her attention as her typing stopped. “I don’t know if it’s just a bad case of the heebie-jeebies, knowing that you could pop at any moment, imagining everything going wrong, and feeling that there’s not much I can do- that I ‘am doing.” He confessed as he watched her close the laptop. “But my lack of sleep is no excuse for toying with you so much.” Alastor stated, giving her calf a gentle squeeze as their eyes locked. “Darling, I’m sorry.”

She sighed and softly smiled as she motioned him to take her computer from her. When he took her device he made sure to place it on the coffee table next to his knees and not on the floor, unless he wanted to be scorched to a crisp.

“And I’m sorry too for what I said earlier, that wasn’t very cool of me.” She apologized as she shuffled herself up into a sitting position and was about to scoot over to his side of the couch, but he beat her to it as he closed the distance. “You know I actually don’t want a new boyfriend.” Charlie confessed as she cuddled into his side, resting her head on his chest as he placed his arm around her, pulling her in closer.

“I know.” He smiled smugly, radio filter back in his voice.

“I’m sorry that you haven’t been sleeping that well. Do you mind telling me what’s been keeping you up at night?” She asked while tracing one of the pinstripes on his suite.

“It’s probably just some first-time parent jitters.” He shrugged, not wanting to discuss the morbid scenes in his recent nightmares that involved her. “I’ll be fine, sweetheart.”

“If your nervous I can give you some of the baby and parenting books I’ve been reading. They’ve honestly been helping me feel a lot less nervous. Oh!” She exclaimed excitedly as she looked up at him, suddenly remembering something. “And I even have my birth plan figured out with Dr. Vex. Do you want me to fill you in?”

“Maybe after we attend the party downstairs that’s currently waiting on us, my dear.” He smiled down at her as he grasped her hand, a quizzical expression on her face as he helped pull her up from the couch.

+++++++++++++++

“Woah! This is so thoughtful and amazing you guys.” Charlie smiled as she looked around the beautifully decorated reception hall. “You’re seriously going to make me cry.” She hiccupped as she took in the view of balloons, party streamers, what looked to be an array of whacky party games on one side of the room, a table overflowing with gifts that were mostly from Lilith, and on an adjacent table was a gorgeous white cake, decorated with edible roses.

“I made it myself yesterday during baking class.” Tammy beamed with pride as she asked the teary-eyed demoness, “What do ya think, suga’?”

“It’s wonderful Tammy, thank you.” She said as she hugged the she-wolf.

“Now let’s get this party started! Starting with the game I whipped up this morning.” Angel boasted, holding up a poster board that read _Labor or Porn?_ , with pictures of various imps making ‘O’ faced expressions that could either be due to screams of pain or moans of euphoria. What the answers were per picture was anyone’s guess, but it was made clear that Rosie, Alastor, Vaggie, and a few other hotel residence thought it was obscene and foul as hell. The real guessing game later was which one set Angel’s ludicrous image board ablaze.

Luckily, there were other, less distasteful, games to play. The first being a racing game involving water balloons that the contestants had to waddles with in-between their knees to the finish line. Mimzy easily won with having short, pudgy legs; with Vaggie and Lily coming in as a tied second while holding hands, not winning the basket full of cookies but certainly having fun. The game didn’t have more rounds as Angel and a few other contestants kept accidently popping their balloons, causing Nifty’s OCD to go into overdrive to clean up the mess. Truly a terrible game to play indoors.

The second game also involved balloons, but this time they were only filled with air and tied around the contestants mid-sections as they played twister. Angel actually enjoying and winning the game thanks to his ridiculously long extra limbs and having a seven-foot tall, lanky body.

The third and final game was all Lilith’s idea. A drinking contest involving apple infused vodka…..that were in baby bottles. Which Husk shamelessly won quickly, offering to chug the other contestants drinks. He may have won, but he certainly was not given the first-place prize of more alcohol.

Charlie, for the most part, sat on the side lines with Alastor, Rosie, and a few other hotel residents, enjoying chatting with everyone and being the referee for most of the games. But felt a little awkward when it came to opening gifts in front of everyone as Tammy excitedly handed her each present, feeling even more awkward when she actually did cry in front of everyone upon unwrapping a lovely crib set with the card _To my precious apple pie. Love, Dad_. Charlie made sure to quickly dry her tears before it was time to bring out lunch and enjoy some cake, which she felt kind of bad that they were about to take it apart.

“Well don’t just stand there admiring it! Cut the gender reveal cake open!” Lily yelled.

“It’s a what?” The words barely left Charlie’s mouth before the loud shattering of glass was heard. She was not expecting to be yanked back quickly as something- actually someone- crashed through the window and flew through the air towards her, narrowly missing her as her field of vision was filled with the sight of a familiar, red pinstripe suit.

The demon that crashed through the window smashed through the cake hard before they reached the end of their range of projectile at the tables on the other side of the room. 

“Hey! Cherri, baby! Nice of you to _crash_ by, literally. But I never thought you were the type to go to a baby shower.” Angel smirked at his friend who was currently upside down, legs dangling over a table she had toppled over during her rough landing.

“Ow! Oh fuck that hurt.” The strawberry blonde cyclops mumbled as she glanced around her surroundings, replaying Angel’s words in her head, noticing that she was covered in white frosting and bright pink cake. “….uhhh…congratulations!” Her awkward confusion was soon replaced with panic as she saw the Radio Demon narrow his static filled eyes at her. She trembled and gulped hard, figuring she was a goner; however, she was surprised to see him let go off the heavily pregnant demoness he was shielding and head not towards her, but towards the broken window she had crashed through. It wasn’t long before a hand belonging to her six limbed friend was extended towards her face, offering her a lift up.

Meanwhile, Charlie was immediately swarmed by her mom, Vaggie, Lily, and Tammy, all asking if she was okay.

“You okay, suga?” Tammy urgently asked, making quick glances from Charlie’s face to her bump, resisting the urge to reach for it.

“A gender reveal cake? Tammy, what the hell? Why do you even know that? _How_ do you even know that?” The blonde furiously questioned the she-wolf.

“Wait, espera un minuto, you’re telling us that wasn’t supposed to happen?….the cake I mean.” Vaggie clarified as she glanced over at a pink cake and white frosted covered Cherri Bomb chatting with Angel, noticing that the Radio Demon was nowhere in sight, a small crowd gathering by the window.

“No, it wasn’t.” Charlie stated as she placed one hand on her hip and the other to her temple, trying to keep her temper under control. “I didn’t want to know the gender, I wanted it to be a nice surprise. Why would you take that from me, Tammy?” She cornered the she-wolf.

“I…I..uh..” The brunette stuttered, her focus shifting from the angry demoness in front of her to the loud commotion happening outside. She swore she could hear heavy metal grating and crushing against itself, accompanied by terrified screams.

“Charlie, honey, I’m so sorry!” Lilith exclaimed.

“What?” Charlie snapped her head towards her mom.

“Your friend said that she wanted to make you a really sweet gift, but that she needed to know the sex of the baby before she could make it.” Lilith explained.

“How the hell did you know?” The angry demoness questioned, her doe-like eyes changing to their more demonic red form.

“Please don’t be mad at me, angel-face. I just couldn’t wait…..so I bribed Dr. Vex.” The Queen remorsefully admitted. “I thought you would never find out that I knew. And I didn’t think that your friend’s gift was that cake.”

“My gift isn’t just the cake. I wanted to knit the baby a blanket, but I needed to know what color yarn to use.” Tammy defended.

“Then why the cake?” Charlie hissed, horns on full display.

“I-I know that you said that you loved surprises. Your only a month away from your due date, hun. A-and when I had my own baby shower I loved having a gender reveal cake-“ The she-wolf rambled.

“Well this isn’t your baby shower, Tammy.” Charlie snapped.

Not too far away, there was quite a crowd formed around the shattered window. “Where are your manners, Alastor?!” Rosie yelled out the window. “You almost forgot to give him his party favor.” She chimed, her and the other onlookers quickly moving out of the way as an inky tentacle shot through the window from outside and into the room.

“What the absolute fuck?!” Cherri Bomb screeched as the black appendage tightly wrapped around her ankle, yanking her to the floor before dragging her out the window.

“Oh come on! It’s not her fault Sir PinDick McNo-Legs shot her halfway across the city!” Angel shouted as he ran after his screaming friend out the window. 

+++++++++++++++

“I think those eggs may have given me indigestion.” Alastor stated as he quietly burped into the side of his closed fist. “Do we have any Tums, dear?”

“Ughh, I can’t believe her. And not just her! My mom and that damn doctor.” Charlie ranted as she paced around her bedroom, tossing her cellphone onto the foot of the bed before quickly stopping by her bedside drawer for a moment to toss a small bottle of antacids to her boyfriend.

The chat that she just had with Dr. Vex about patient confidentiality certainly did not help her mood. The end of that phone call wrapping up with Charlie being scolded to calm down and to think about her blood pressure; and to think about the possibility that she could go into premature labor due to stress.

She couldn’t hit the _End Call_ button fast enough.

Feeling quite defeated about the whole situation she kicked off her slippers and crawled into bed, slumping onto her side and laying her pounding head into Alastor’s lap, mumbling “goddam fucking assholes” as she got comfortable. Alastor also attempted to get as comfortable as possible, despite suffering from an unsettled stomachache, as he tried to comfort his beloved, turning on some soft music as background noise as he gently rubbed his hand up and down her back.

She sighed and tried to focus on the feel of his pleasant touches instead of the constant dull throbs currently plaguing her temples, feeling quite upset and kind of sad that such a beautiful surprise was ruined for her. Ruined by two impatient demonesses and a money persuaded imp.

Assholes.

A loud grumble coming from the stomach she was snuggling against brought her out of her ill-tempered thoughts. “Why did you eat a quarter of Sir Pentious’s egg minions?”

“When presented an opportunity, it’s unwise for one to turn up their nose and look away….and I didn’t have enough fuel in the tank to rip apart that abomination he calls an aircraft.” He admitted as he stroked his fingers through her blonde locks, tucking the stray strands behind her ear.

“Was it worth it?” She asked.

“Every beautiful scream; just symphony to my ears.” He grinned, delighted to have murdered the pesky snake that nearly smashed a cyclops demon into his girlfriend and vulnerable unborn child. The red demon continued to grin as he stroked her hair, eventually trailing his fingers back down her neck and shoulders, all the way to the dip in the middle of her back before moving his gloved hand over to her bump.

He was the only person that didn’t need to ask for her permission. She actually wanted him to touch her stomach and to speak to their baby more, trying to encourage bonding early, but he seemed to only do so during the moments when she asked him to. 

“Do you care that it’s a girl? I know you really wanted a boy.” She curiously asked as she looked up at him, placing her pale hand over his gloved one.

“A boy would have been nice…”Alastor started to say, feeling his little nudger nudge against his palm, “…but I think I prefer her instead.” His grin turning into a genuine smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: I would like to thank the song Dear Theodosia from Hamilton for helping me write that touching scene with Al at the beginning of the chapter. Next chapter we get some insight about the nightmares that’s been keeping him up at night, so I hope you guys are looking forward to that. I also hope you guys loved this chapter and how the gender was revealed….even though Charlie certainly wasn’t enthused about it. Grandma Lilith and nosey Tammy certainly need to learn their boundaries. 
> 
> Additional Notes:  
> -I’m still laughing over the chaotic mess happening in the background while a serious scene was unfolding at the forefront. 
> 
> -Don’t worry, Sir Pentious and Cherri Bomb will be back…..after regenerating first or however the hell respawning works in this world.
> 
> -One more chapter and then we get to meet her ^_^
> 
> -Twitter account LateNightLurker @LateLurker


	18. Why You Wanna Give Me a Run-around?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Hello my lovely sinners. Sorry if Dr. Vex’s gender wasn’t clarified before since I usually use doctor, physician, imp, etc. But Dr. Vex is female. Even I had to go back and check in previous chapters and I did use she/her, but the doctor’s gender isn’t really important for the plot or story, so see them however you want but I’m going to stick with she/her for continuity’s sake. Now onto the chapter.
> 
> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

Lilith tried to do everything in her power over the next few days following the baby shower fiasco to fall back into her daughter’s good graces. She offered to take her daughter shopping and out to eat anywhere she wanted to go, but those offers were quickly reclined. She mailed to the hotel baby books and clothes, but they were mailed back. She offered to come up to the hotel and spend the day with her but was denied.

Tammy wasn’t having much luck either. Baked goods went untouched. Knitted crafts, including the intricately knitted pink baby blanket was placed back into her room. And Charlie didn’t really speak to her unless it was during the group therapy session.

The blonde demoness sighed after opening her door to find a plate of chocolate cookies on top of a cart outside her room. It was the third one this week; however, she was not expecting there to be a small card accompanying the baked goods.

_Here if you need anything, hun. I’m still so sorry for what happened. Please talk to me when you’re ready._

_Your friend, Tammy_

It was becoming a little harder each day to remain mad at them, especially since they both had been a part of her pillars of support since very early on in her pregnancy. Out of everyone who was close to her they should have been the most understanding what she was going through. That’s why it hurt even more that they were the ones who pulled that crap. So, for the time being she ignored them. Although, she couldn’t really ignore her physician.

Her appointments were going to soon be from every two weeks to once a week. And despite her due date starting to creep around the corner she was planning on changing doctors, even though her mother advised her not to, swearing that she would never bribe Dr. Vex again and that the physician would never dare take money from anyone outside of the Magne family. But how could Charlie trust her mother’s word?

She was surprised when not too long after that conversation with her mom her phone unexpectedly rang again. Instead of _Mom_ popping up on her caller I.D, the screen read _Dad._ Not once did she think she would take her dad’s advice ever again. The last time she saw him they both still had very different opinions on what she should be doing with her life. Although, he seemed to be slowly coming around. She was utterly surprised when he had gifted her that lovely crib, moved to tears by the thought that he was softening up and that maybe he was looking forward to becoming a grandpa.

So, she finally took his advice and stayed under Dr. Vex’s care, promised that the imp would never cross the King of Hell unless she wanted to be vaporized out of existence and that there was no other physician Lucifer could think of that Charlie could be any safer with. In addition, he subtly mentioned that he sided with his daughter, and what his wife did was wrong.

Charlie nearly dropped her cellphone when he said that she should come over soon, eat dinner at the palace, and try to talk things out with her mom. When she asked if Alastor could come to dinner too the quick ‘No’ she heard wasn’t unexpected. _Oh well, baby steps_ , she thought to herself with a small smile on her face.

+++++++++++++++

Her mother was much more easier to forgive. Lilith had no intentions of ruining the surprise or knew what Tammy was exactly planning. Plus, this was her usually kind and sweet mother she was talking about. Tammy, on the other hand, she found much harder to forgive.

She had only known and befriended this demoness for about half a year. Tammy was, for the most part, friendly, caring, loved to share the delicious treats she baked, knitted lovely crafts that she gifted to others, had a motherly persona about her, and generally seemed like a good person. But then why, ever since Cherry Bomb unceremoniously splattered pink cake everywhere, did Charlie begin to get an uneasy feeling in her gut about the she-wolf?

Was it because the large canine’s past was still a mystery? Or that she really hadn’t known her for very long. Did Charlie not like the way the Tammy would sometimes hover over her or worry about her? Or was it because during the baby shower Tammy seemed like…..the party was more for her than for Charlie. Did the she-wolf really need the attention that bad? She didn’t seem like the type.

Whatever the unknown reason was, Charlie was having a harder time forgiving or being around her, just something didn’t sit well in her gut, and it wasn’t from the chocolate cookies. 

However, the silence between them began to break when Charlie’s due date came and went. It started with kind advice to offering to help, bringing spicy dishes and pineapple juice directly to the heavily pregnant demoness along with offering to go on long walks with her around the hotel and listening to her ever-growing list of aches and pains.

Finding herself quite desperate and wanting to avoid using medical intervention just yet, Charlie accepted Tammy’s help, pushing down the nagging feeling in her gut.

That was how she found herself holding onto the she-wolf’s claws for support as she steadily bounced up and down on the yoga ball she was balancing on, working up a sweat more than anything in the hotel’s rec room.

Angel occasionally glanced over at the two demonesses while doing his after-work-out stretches, turning off his music from his earphones to eavesdrop what they were conversing about…..and it wasn’t pretty. 

_Itchy stretchmarks, swollen ankles, restless legs that constantly cramp, and oh the back pain. Fuck the back pain. Didn’t her daughter know she was supposed to be evicted two days ago? Well apparently she didn’t get the memo or was just too comfortable where she was._

_Mentions of Alastor trying his best being her main pillar of support by listening to her woes, usually while retrieving a cold compress or a heating pad for her cramps or while giving her a back massage. And mentions of concern that she still didn’t think he was getting a lot of sleep lately and that she was worried about him. But she didn’t get too far into that spiel before she said that she needed to rest for a moment, complaining that her back pain was coming back._

Feeling his heart sink a little into his stomach from what he heard, Angel felt like he had to walk over and say something, help in some way.

“Have ya tried fucking?” The first thing to leave his mouth upon approaching the two demonesses.

“Uh….excuse me, what?” Tammy asked quizzically as she stared up at him, taken aback by his crude choice of words to start a conversation.

“I’ve been told by family members and a few gal pals that one of the best ways to get labor jump started is to get screwed. Something about hormones or somethin’.”

A light blush lit up across the blonde’s cheeks as she looked away for a moment before she mumbled. “….I’ve tried….but Al won’t do it.”

“What? Are you shitting me? Is he revolted by pregnant chicks or something?” Angel asked.

“No, no, that’s not it. He said he’ll only help if he gets to choose her name. I don’t think he likes the ones that I’ve picked out.” She said as she shifted her weight on the yoga ball.

“Well, what were the names you had in mind, suga’?” Tammy asked curiously.

“Um… well, he thought Duchess sounded like a dog’s name, he said Petunia sounded atrocious, and Abcde was completely thrown out the window when I spelled it for him.”

The two stared at her in disbelief before Angel spoke up. “I for once agree with Smiles. Charlie, those names are terrible. Ya want your kid to get picked on for all of eternity? Because that’s how you create self-esteem issues. Plus, look at yourself. You look absolutely fucking miserable.” He not so vaguely pointed out. “I think you should let Al win this one, toots.”

“Maybe I should.” She sighed as she rubbed the lower part of her back, already feeling pretty close since this morning of letting Alastor win this disagreement. The demoness felt pretty done and desperate for her pregnancy to be over with, wanting her body back and for her daughter to be here already. With that final resolution in mind she allowed Tammy to help her stand up before heading out of the rec room to go find her boyfriend.

“That’s right go make your sex therapist proud! Oh, I almost forgot!” Angel shouted towards Charlie across the, thankfully mostly empty, rec room. “I heard that it works best if the guy blows his load, so make sure he leaves a deposit!”

“You, are vile. Do you even hear half of the things you spout out of your mouth?” Tammy asked with her arms crossed and a disapproving, disgusted look on her face towards the spider.

+++++++++++++++

_Alastor may have had a short fuse and a love for a little violence, but he was a patient man when it came to pursuing a hunt. That patience being vital as he felt his legs already become a bit cramped and stiff from crouching so long in the brush situated along the edge of a small clearing. Doing his best to tune out the chirps and whistles of the early birds coming to life as the first rays of light broke through the Louisiana greenery._

_The loud chirps and barks of noisy squirrels rustled through the woods around him made him realize he should have been squirrel hunting instead of deer hunting. Always when he went deer hunting did the squirrels love to come out and play, but when he had the intention to squirrel hunt not one damn rodent in sight._

_But that wasn’t the only thought running through the young man’s mind._

_Why was everything so green and the air so warm? He usually never hunted deer during the late spring months, not like anyone would call him out for it or stop him. These hunting grounds were vast and fairly remote and not too many people passed through, which was why these grounds were quite useful to cover up his other favorite hobbies._

_A grin began to creep slowly across his face as he remembered his latest kill, the memories of them choking on their own blood as they writhed in pain, their crimson soaking through his brown vest and white shirt, staining his gloves, all still fresh in his mind. The stiffness in his legs disappeared as the images made his heart pump a little faster, spreading the adrenaline that was dumped into his system. Which couldn’t be a better moment for the light-furred doe to slowly walk into the clearing, unaware that the grass she was tentatively grazing on was her last meal._

_He observed her through the lens of his bifocals. Such a stunning creature she was. A shiny blondish hide and bright clear eyes, with a fine amount of fat and muscle on her._

_When she dipped her head back down to take another bite, that was when he made the slight movement to take aim. Her large dark eyes looked around behind long eyelashes as she surveyed her surroundings when she lifted her head back up. The young man paused for a moment as he steadied his aim, grateful that he was downwind from her and that she hadn’t flagged her tail up and bolted yet. Strands of brown hair from his bangs were only slightly obscuring his vision, but he barely noticed as all focus was on the spot on her ribcage just a little behind her forelimb._

_The shot from his rifle rang in his ears as he watched the doe jump and let out a surprised guttural scream before darting off into the brush._

_He was just as surprised as the doe as he watched her take off. With the perfect aim he had he was expecting her to drop dead immediately, not run. Luckily, the splattered blood on the forest floor from her dripping wound left an easy trail. If this were his slightly more preferred two-legged prey, he would be more disappointed that he botched his opportunity, not one to chase after fleeing victims. However, he followed the beckoning bright droplets. One because he wasn’t going to let perfectly good venison go to waste; and two because he didn’t want an innocent animal to suffer more than necessary._

_With the hunter’s obligation to finish his kill he pursued her, ending up a little less than a quarter mile from where he fired his gun, discovering that he was close to the end of the trail when the droplets became less dispersed and more clumped together in larger pools._

_The woods were eerily quiet the closer he got to the end of the blood trail. He was expecting to not hear any birds after shortly firing his weapon; however, several minutes had passed and there wasn’t even any sign of the pesky squirrels that had teased him earlier with their presence. Only the soft rustling of the green leaves as the warm spring breeze brushed by, and something else as well. A sound that made Alastor feel uneasy the closer he got to the bushes and tall grass where the trail seemed to finally end._

_He heard the soft whimpers of a woman crying._

_The doe body he was expecting to find laying in the tall grass was not a doe._

_The dark ruby droplets on the ground were not from a doe._

_And the large dark eyes that looked up at him were not the soft and docile eyes of his prey, but the pained, tear-filled eyes of his Charlie’s. Those tears stained here cheeks as they flowed, joining the red droplets on the ground. Her lower lip trembled along with the rest of her body as she looked up at him, tightly grasping onto the side of her chest that leaked crimson through her white button up._

_“Y-you shot m-me. W-why w-would you s-hoot me?” She rasped as blood dribbled steadily down her chin, adding more to the red pool underneath her._

_He tried to move, tried to say something, tried to do anything but found that he was paralyzed to the spot. Unable to move as he watched her cry and choke on her own blood while tightly scrunching up her no longer white shirt that tightly hugged to her lithe flat stomach._

_The bleating of a young fawn cried out in the distance for her mother, her cries sounding uncannily similar to a human child’s._

+++++++++++++++

The red demon sat up with an abrupt start as the door to his office swung open.

“Fine, you win, I give. I can’t stand another moment being…..You okay?” Charlie asked with worry as she noticed the extended, tangled antlers on his head and the radio waves in his eyes on his panic-stricken face. She slightly jumped when he quickly disappeared from behind his desk and materialized right in front of her, pulling her into an unexpected hug.

Her concerned only worsened as she listened to the fast thumping of his heart against her ear while he had her side pinned close to him, one of his hands firmly but shakily grasping the side of her head. “Al? What happened?”

The demon didn’t respond to her concern as he focused on the confirmation that she was alive and unharmed. Feeling the radiating warmth coming from her porcelain skin and listening to her soft breathing as he felt her chest rise and fall against him. Relieved that the only scent filling his nose was her shampoo, not a single hint of iron to be noticed.

Charlie wished she could return the hug and try to comfort him, but he had her arms unintentionally trapped at her sides, the best she could do was let him hold her as she patiently waited for him to relax. Which he finally did relax, just enough for her to slightly pull away so she could readjust and wrap her arms around him. She nuzzled into the black and pink striped button up he was wearing as she asked, “Can you please tell me what’s wrong?”

“It’s just a night terror, my dear.” He tried persuading her, his eyes back to normal and his antlers down to their original size.

“A night terror at 4 in the afternoon? No, I think there’s something more going on that you’re not telling me.” She said as she took a quick glance over at his desk, long claw marks etched into its surface. “You’ve never taken a nap in the middle of the day, and rarely have I’ve ever seen you that panicked before. Please tell me what’s going on, I thought we agreed no more secrets?” Charlie asked as she took a small step back away from him, grasping both of his gloved hands with her small pale ones as she looked up into his eyes.

The distressed expression displayed on her face made Alastor realize that his attempts to deal with his metaphorical demons on his own was backfiring, handling them this way wasn’t protecting Charlie from worrying in the slightest.

He let go of her right hand, moving his now freed left hand to her cheek as he gently caressed the warm skin, an attempt to ease the worry out of her face as she leaned into his touch. “You’re right, my love, I promised to always be level with you and I don’t plan to start breaking deals today. But I have to ask you this,” he started as his thumb grazed over the pink circle on her cheek, “how are you so calmly handling all of this?”

“Handling what so calmly?” The blonde quizzically asked.

“The daunting fact that our lives are going to change drastically. I don’t want to seem lousy with doubt, because I do want her, believe me dear I do, but….” He trailed off, having a difficult time placing into words his emotional turmoil and doubts.

“Your worried about being a good dad for her?” She questioned.

“I-I’ve only ever had to think of myself and the different ways to ease my boredom. Always looking for the next form of entertainment. There are very few people, both when I was alive and now, who I deeply care about. I’ve never been in a situation where I have so much to lose. Sure, I’ve made several acquaintances and have taken in the stray rug-rat or two until they could take care of themselves….,but I’ve been pondering if I’m even capable of playing the role of a good father.”

Charlie’s expression softened as she looked up at him, placing her hand on the black gloved one on her cheek, intertwining her fingers with his. “Do you want to know why I’m so calm? It’s because I’m not alone in this. I have friends and family who are kind, supportive, and amazing…..most of the time.” She quickly added before continuing. “But most importantly I have a wonderful partner who, despite his large ego, short fuse, and tendencies to be a sarcastic asshole-“

“You slay me, darling.” He matter-of-factly stated as he rolled his eyes, letting go of her hands.

“-I know will be one badass of a great father. I know you can do this, Al. Don’t think you have to limit yourself, we both know you’re capable of so many things.” His girlfriend said before reaching for his hands again, placing them on her very swollen bump. “And when she’s finally here, I think you’ll find that you’re going to be just right for her.”

The warm smile lighting up her face always seemed to have an almost magical-like ability of reaching into the darkest depths of his heart, making him wonder if she really was hell born. She never stopped amusing him with the unexpected feelings she brought out of him, especially the ones he thought died long ago. 

He returned the sweet smile on her face with one of his own.

“Uhm… before I came in here I was looking for you.” She sighed, looking a bit uncomfortable before continuing. “You win. You get to pick out her name. I know I’m only two days past my due date, but I don’t think I can stand another moment being pregnant.” A dark blush lit up her face before continuing. “I’ve read on the internet that it might work…..and it has been awhile. So, I was wondering….do you want to help me out?”

+++++++++++++++

Alastor truthfully didn’t think a bit of whoopie was going to in anyway be able to trigger his girlfriend to go into labor. He believed the baby was going to arrive when she was ready to be born, not when Charlie was ready for her to be born. However, it was a good strategy to get Charlie to change her mind about the atrocious names she had picked out…..although, maybe on some subconscious level his brief act of celibacy wasn’t just for the sake of his daughter’s dignity to have a decent name. Maybe, just like his daughter, he hadn’t felt ready yet.

Originally, his sole focus was selfishly on himself, even when the smile and dreams of a naïve princess caught his attention. And he really did get a kick out of the futile attempts from the sinners trying to redeem themselves, both now and back then; however, over time, his preference of entertainment began to shift more towards Lucifer’s heir, finding her to be a swell joy to be around.

The way she could keep up with his pace on the dance floor at Mimzy’s, thrilled to have a dance partner like her, or how her elegant soprano voice complimented his tenor one during their duets, both the random and the practice choreographed ones for the hotel’s talent show nights. How she found his jokes hilarious, or when she complimented his cooking, devouring every bite on her plate. Not to mention the way her laugh and smile could radiantly light up a room.

Or the way she could get him to care about someone who wasn’t himself.

Although, he still found himself to still be a selfish man, wanting all of the love and attention from the divine woman in his arms. The woman who made him both question himself yet, made him more sure than ever that this was where he was supposed to be, convincing him that he was both ready and capable of change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: So it’s interesting how nonexistent deer hunting laws were until the late 1800s and early 1900s. But even when those laws existed during the time Alastor was alive those laws were pretty lax and not a lot of people followed them. I’m not surprised that Al was most likely shot by a hunter/attacked by hunting dogs considering how much more dangerous those outdoor hunting sports were back then and that people used hunting dogs more often. Okay history spiel over.
> 
> Additional Notes:  
> -Lucifer by far is going to be my second favorite character development in this story.
> 
> -Listening to Beastars intro song “Wild Side” did wonders for writing Al’s nightmare this chapter. I hope you enjoyed a little bit of human Alastor even though it was a dream.
> 
> \- For Al’s morals I’m sticking with Viv’s original lore about him. He has very similar ethics to Dexter from the TV show Dexter, the very specifics from Viv is that he would never harm a child, and he doesn’t chase after fleeing victims. I imagine him to be a calculating opportunistic serial killer who usually hits his mark. 
> 
> -I apologize ahead of time for the next chapter. I’ve already started writing it….and oh sweet Lucifer is it a bit graphic but boy am’ I having fun sadistically writing it. Let’s see how long Charlie is going to remain calm and collected. It will be titled Pain for a reason and I will be adding a new tag.
> 
> -Twitter account LateNightLurker @LateLurker


	19. Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beginning Notes: READ THIS BEFORE CONTINUING! This chapter contains a fairly realistic description of the beautiful, bloody mess that is childbirth. I would say skip this chapter, but there is so many important scenes in this besides the birth. So please bear with me if you can. I’m still so sorry in advance. And to kind of make up for all the blood and pain a cute little sketch dump will be at the end of the chapter. Enjoy! 
> 
> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

It was 5 a.m. when Charlie awoke to the sensation of light cramps spreading across her abdomen as she rolled to her other side and away from her boyfriend’s grasp. A slick sensation between her thighs alarmed her as she soon discovered that there was a small wet spot, barely an inch in diameter, on the sheets underneath her. She quickly headed to her bathroom and sat on the toilet in confusion and embarrassment.

Was she slowly peeing herself? No, it was super clear and it didn’t feel like she was. Did she not clean up after sex? No, she certainly remembered taking a shower afterwards. As she came out of her early morning grogginess the realization hit her.

She was leaking amniotic fluid.

_Ha! So it did work. Suck it Alastor!_ But her triumph was short lived as she felt another contraction hit, this one a little stronger.

Charlie took a deep breath in, reminding herself that she was ready, she was well prepared, and that she’s got this.

After it passed she discarded her wet black shorts and underwear for a new pair, making sure to secure a large pad so she wouldn’t soil this one.

Quickly and quietly she grabbed her phone off its charging port and headed out to her private suite’s living room, closing the door quietly behind her as to not wake up her boyfriend. Once on the phone with Dr. Vex and letting the physician in on the situation, she was informed to relax for the time being and call back when her labor met the 4-1-1 rule; four minutes apart, each one lasting one minutes, and have been happening for at least an hour.

After getting off the phone she headed back to her bathroom to grab a bath towel before crawling back into bed. Charlie covered the small wet spot and attempted to try to lay back down and get a few more hours of sleep. However, she found it to be quite difficult as contractions randomly came and went. When 6:32 a.m. rolled around she knew that she wasn’t going to be getting anymore sleep and decided to head downstairs for an early breakfast.

Upon entering the kitchen in her slippers and robe over her pajamas, she briefly greeted the busy hotel’s chefs before pouring herself a bowl of cereal and cutting up a few strawberries before heading back to the lobby to lounge on one of the sofas, not wanting to bother her kitchen staff for an early meal while they prepared the 8 a.m. breakfast. 

As she took a few bites of her breakfast Charlie started to regret not already waking up Alastor, but decided it was for the best. Outweighing that she wanted him to get a few more hours of sleep over her desire for a hand to hold onto through the occasional contraction. The poor man seemed like he desperately needed the rest, and she doubt either one of them would be getting a decent amount of sleep for a while.

Charlie scrolled through her phone and chatted with a few of her hotel residence who were also up early that slow Sunday morning while she munched on her breakfast. But beside the handful of early risers the lobby was overall quiet. Charlie realized that it felt kind of strange sitting alone in the quietness. The calm before the storm. Just waiting. 

Waiting to finally be done being pregnant.

Waiting for her daughter.

Waiting for her life to change, again.

_Again,_ she thought to herself as she looked around her lobby. A lobby that seemed brighter in color, more welcoming, and….she didn’t know the right word for it but ‘homey’ seemed to be the closest to what she was feeling.

She smiled as she looked towards the wooden front doors, early morning light filtering through the apple designs on its stained glass as memories, that didn’t seem that old to be memories, passed through her mind.

_“Well, this place may be a bit of a fixer-upper.” She watched her past self say as past Charlie tentatively picked up a set of old drapes from a turned over couch, unsettling some dust, making her cough a little._

_“Ya, no kidding.” Vaggie agreed as she walked all the way through the front doors towards a coughing Charlie, observing the long project they had ahead of them. “But you know what,” the moth girl said as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist, “with a little love I think we can turn this place into the happiest place in Hell.”_

_“Even happier than Disney?” The blonde joked as she pulled Vaggie in closer._

_“That rat has nothing on the Happy Hotel.”_

_“Oh?” Charlie questioned. “So we’re going with my name choice?”_

Charlie smiled at the scene from her spot on the lounge couch before another memory crept into her mind.

_“So you broads are saying all I gotta do is not get into any fights, pranks, and no ‘problematic language’ and I get to stay here? Rent free?” Angel Dust asked as he took a quick glance around the dump of a building, but he wasn’t one to say no to free shit._

_“Essentially, yes.” Charlie beamed happily at her first patient while Vaggie sat on the lounge couch with her arms crossed, not liking the porn star too much; however, it warmed her heart to see her amour so happy._

_“Fuck yeah! Sign me up!” The spider demon exclaimed, completely disregarding about the detail of ‘no problematic language’ as Vaggie smacked her hand to her face._

Charlie couldn’t help but giggle a little at the memory before her thoughts changed direction again, remembering the day when three lovely sinners entered her lobby, oblivious that they would change her life. _And change my life they did,_ she thought. 

As if the little one could hear her thoughts she felt a little kick near her ribs. “I know, I’m ready to finally meet you too.” She said softly as she placed her hand over the spot.

Once finishing the last spoonful’s of her cereal she decided to finally call her parents.

+++++++++++++++

The red demon woke up feeling more refreshed than ever, not realizing how much those sleepless nights had been taking a toll on him. Alastor glanced at his girlfriend’s bedside clock and believed that it was broken for a moment when he read 11:55 a.m. And when he saw a bath towel beside him for some reason but no Charlie, he got up and dressed quickly. Finally finding her in the large dining hall, helping Lily, Razzle, and Dazzle set up the large dining table for lunch, with Angel Dust suspiciously emerging from the kitchen doors with a plate full of fruits and vegetables and a flustered Tammy trailing behind Charlie.

“Not even my mom is going to be in the room. It’s nice that you want to be there for support, but you’re going to have to wait along with everyone else.” The blonde demoness stated, not even trying to hide her annoyance. Her calm demeanor starting to crack between the contractions becoming stronger and less random and Tammy reverting back to overstepping her boundaries.

“Havin’ another mama there might help make you feel less scared when it really starts kickin’ in. You may feel okay now, suga’, but that might change.”

“Will you give it a rest, mutt? Toots said no. I wouldn’t want you staring at my bits either unless you were paying me.” The spider demon crudely pointed out.

Upon being called a ‘mutt’ an argument quickly broke out between the two fluffy demons.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay, Charlie? Are you even supposed to be up right now?” A worried Lily asked.

“Yeah, I surprisingly feel fine. They’re a little closer together now, but nothing too bad.” She halfheartedly hid a grimace.

“Good afternoon, darling.” Alastor greeted as he made his presence known as he approached the other demons. “I would say good morning but it seems we’re past that timeframe. If you’re having contractions why didn’t you wake me?”

“Well, I thought that you needed the few extra hours of sleep. And I’m not in active labor so it’s not so bad. But my water did break.” She spoke “calmly” while making her way around the table, placing forks down as she went. “What do you want to drink with your lunch?”

“Did you ring the doctor?” Alastor questioned as he followed close behind her, battling an inner war of feeling both annoyed with her and concerned for her.

“Yeah. I called her this morn-“ Charlie let out a low hiss between her teeth as she grabbed onto one of the dining chairs, wincing in pain as a strong contraction unexpectedly hit. The room went a little quiet as all eyes focused on her.

“I’m fine guys, I’m fine.” The blonde demoness unconvincingly smiled, trying to be as persuasive as possible.

“Sweetheart, you don’t look fine.” Her boyfriend stated as he placed a hand on her shoulder, noticing how red her cheeks were becoming and beads of sweat beginning to form on her forehead.

She shrugged him off, wanting to finish setting up lunch for her patients. “We should probably open the dining hall doors already and let everyone iiiinnnNNNNNAAAAAHHHH!”

+++++++++++++++

He was tempted to turn the volume up on his TV as another wail echoed throughout the halls of the private suites; however, it felt kind of wrong to tune out her cries of pain. Angel pushed the temptation away as he cuddled Fat Nugget closer to his chest floof and hugged him as he stared blankly at the screen, barely paying attention to his favorite trashy reality TV show _The Real Hellwives of Imp City_.

Angel was glad nobody had noticed that he snuck the small potbelly pig into his room around two weeks ago. He usually kept his little buddy over at Cherri’s place out of fear that Alastor would eat the little guy. Unfortunately, Cherri’s new boy toy didn’t particularly like the little pig and Angel had to make the rash decision to sneak him into the hotel. Fortunately, Alastor seemed to be a little drowsy and preoccupied the last few weeks, so it didn’t seemed like he noticed the new resident.

The spider was beginning to appreciate having his pet with him as he heard Charlie every now and again from down the hallway.

“Daddy did something really bad Fat Nugget.” Angel solemnly said as he pet the small pig. “In fact, I’ve done a lot of bad things.” He felt his eyes begin to prick with tears as it began to truly sink in how badly he hurt everyone around him at the hotel. Fat Nugget dropped the apple he was munching on, cuddling closer to the spider, nuzzling against the underside of his owner’s jaw, sensing his distress.

“I was only trying to help them,….but all I did was make everything fucking worse.”

He could feel the pooling tears finally fall down his fluffy face as he recounted and regretted everything. Drugging Alastor with date rape drugs believing it would help with his friend’s relationship problems, trying to gift Vaggie and Lily with cake and a free show thinking that it would help them forgive him for bringing drugs to their engagement party, but what he actually did was crash their wedding, and worst of all, repeatedly disobeying the one person who believed that there was any good left in him. For some reason, that he didn’t understand, was that Charlie still believed in him no matter what he did. The only person who wanted him to be here. She never gave up on him, even though he caused her so much grief.

The tears began falling faster and he let out an ugly sob of his own as he heard another piercing screech. It wasn’t his kid that she was struggling to bring into this world, but he still felt like it was all his fault that she was in this situation.

He remembered the blood seeping through her skirt the day after the party, the clawed marks etched into her skin, the past nine months of discomfort, and now the hell she had to endure as she sounded like she was being slowly ripped in half. _Which is pretty close to the truth,_ Angel thought as he wiped his tears onto the long sleeves of his hoodie.

She was suffering because of him.

But, she could do this, right?

+++++++++++++++

“I-I can’t do this.” Charlie quietly sobbed into Alastor’s shoulder, her demonic eyes and horns fully on display as her small, sharp nails punctured more holes in the back of his salmon dress shirt as she balled the fabric into her fists, further destroying his clothes.

The back of his dress shirt was decorated with several ripped open seams here and there, with a few drops of blood scattered from her accidently nicking him. But he could care less about the destroyed shirt and small cuts. He was more focused on her breathing and pain management as he allowed her to both physically and emotionally use him. Moreover, he was also concerned about the condition of the bath water, which the temperature he was managing just fine but it worried him that it was gradually becoming more red, the scent of iron getting stronger.

“Yes you can, sweetheart.” He soothed, void of any radio filter in his voice as he stroked his hand up and down her back, his other hand tangled in her falling-apart, messy bun.

“No Al, I really can’t!” She sobbed, feeling like she had reached her breaking point thirty minutes ago and now her body was going through the motions without her. “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. Ican’tIcan’tIcan’t….” His girlfriend incoherently mumbled into his shoulder.

Alastor usually loved watching others go through pain and torment as he wickedly watched or caused it…..but not when it was happening to innocent creatures who didn’t deserve it. If his tear ducts were able to he would most likely be crying sympathy tears with her, but instead he held her close as she sloshed more reddish stained water onto his button up shirt and lap. 

“You wanting to give up is a good sign. It means we’re pretty close.” Dr. Vex stated while half of her body was leaning over the tub, her latex gloved hands elbow deep in the water. Charlie shook and whimpered as she felt the doctor’s hand reach up within her but continued her ‘I can’t’ mantra. “Just as I thought.” The doctor confirmed. “She’s about to descend, Charlotte. You’re going to have to start pushing. Don’t you want to meet your daughter?” She asked as she retracted her hand.

The pale demoness’s bare, naked form writhed again as she felt another contraction begin to start, whimpering pathetically against her boyfriend, trying not to scream again.

More than anything she wanted to meet their daughter; however, despite preparing the best she could reading all of those pregnancy books and listening to advice from Tammy and her mom, she was not anticipating this much agonizing pain.

She wanted to give up. Just get out of the tub, lie down in bed, and wake up to have her baby already in her arms all clean and smiles….but that’s not how life works.

Quickly realizing that her body was going to go on whether she was ready or not Charlie panted to Alastor, “Hand me that”, as she pointed to one of the clean hand towels on the bathroom sink behind him. He loosened his grip on her and gave her one as requested, wondering what she planned to do with it. She answered that question quickly as she bit down on the folded towel hard and screamed into it as she pushed with her contraction. Charlie felt something heavy drop within her and pressure beginning to increase as she tightly gripped onto her boyfriend again, trying to have some sort of grasp on reality.

During the twenty minutes she was pushing, she soon discovered that the contractions were nothing compared to the ring of fire she felt forming around her opening.

“There you go, Charlotte, one last big push!” Dr. Vex encouraged as she prepared to catch the babe.

Charlie could barely hear the doctor’s instructions or Alastor’s comforting words as she beared down. Something primal within her snapped as her red eyes shone brighter and her horns grew longer. The demoness sunk her claws into her mate’s back as the hand towel dropped from her jaws, her piercing scream sounded more like a roar as she exerted herself one last time.

Then, it was over.

Her hands loosened their grip and slid down his back as she went limp, allowing herself to fully collapse in his supportive embrace. She felt her horns begin to recede as all of the pain and pressure were suddenly gone, almost like it evaporated out of nowhere. Charlie felt herself finally relax with the one immediate thought that she wanted a nap, but that changed completely when she heard little squeaks close by turn into tiny wails.

“I don’t think you want to sleep just yet.” Alastor said as helped her slowly turn around.

Her doe eyes widened and refilled with tears as she reached for the noisy infant, immediately pulling her close and feeling the comforting pressure of her small daughter’s weight and warmth on her bare chest. “Shhh, oh you sweet little thing. It’s okay, you’re okay.” Charlie soothed as she kissed one of the little girl’s red circled cheeks and the black tip coloring on her nose that was heart shaped while she brushed her fingers through her pink deer ears and hair. _Was her hair going to be naturally like this or did the water stain it?_ Charlie thought as she further examined the infant, taking note that even though she was pinkish, and a bit wrinkled right now, some defining features still showed through. She was most excited about the cute little tail her daughter inherited.

“Why, hello there, my dear.” Alastor smiled at the mewling infant as he leaned over Charlie’s shoulder, tracing his fingers over one of the newborn’s red circles on her face. “You have no idea the kinds of ruckus and chaos you’ve already caused.” He stated as he allowed her little hand to grasp one of his thin fingers.

The imp doctor smiled a rare smile at the scene as she reached inside her medical bag for a few tools that she was going to need, as well as a couple of clean towels from the counter. The most painful part was over, but there was still a lot of work to be done. The babe needed her umbilical cord cut and a full evaluation, Charlotte needed an evaluation too and the placenta still needed to be delivered, and as for Charlotte’s boyfriend……the doctor pondered as she got a better look at his back while his full attention was on his family, well, she was definitely going to offer him stitches. Maybe even offer him a hearing exam for his right ear as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Bruh. Not gonna lie, but I cried some ugly tears. Mostly because it felt like I was writing this chapter for forever and I’m so happy that I’ve finally finished it. But yeah the Charlastor kiddo is here and I hope you enjoyed another one of my attempts at art (that’s a bow on her tail btw, I forgot to draw ribbons on it before taking the pic and uploading it, oh well). See you guys in the next chapter where her full name will be released and she’ll meet everyone.   
> If you want to know here name early check out my Twitter account LateNightLurker @LateLurker 
> 
> Additional Notes:   
> \- The chapter title ‘Pain’ is from Imagine Dragon’s song ‘Believer’.
> 
> \- I wanted to go for a more realistic birth scene rather than how a birth scene would play out in a movie/show. And I definitely wasn’t going to cower away from the topic and skip it all together. No fear, we die like men. 
> 
> \- I love Charlie’s “This is fine, everything is fine” demeanor at the beginning of the chapter and how that quickly dissolved. I hope you were irritated at her just as much as everyone else was in this chapter.
> 
> \- The next chapter was initially going to be titled ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love With You’, but instead it will be ‘Welcome to Your Life’. It definitely fits so much better, especially since Al and Charlie have been talking/thinking about change and being accepting of change the last two chapters. Plus, the lyrics seemed more cute/fitting. 
> 
> \- Rose is one of her nicknames and it correlates with her first name. And this cutie is probably going to have a lot of nicknames. Ex. Sweetheart and darling (I think you can guess who’s calling her that), baby girl, cutie-patootie, Rosie-posie, bubblegum princess, Lucie-loo (related to her middle name), etc. 
> 
> \- I will be on a short hiatus while I try to survive the last two weeks of my school’s semester.


	20. Welcome to Your Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I’m back! I wasn’t planning on releasing this chapter until Saturday; however, I completed it early despite it being finals week for me and wanted to post it. So please enjoy this overly sweet and fluffy slice of life chapter. Nice little awe moments ahead before we get back into some suspense again. So many twists, turns, and long chapters ahead (I might have to cut some chapters in half, but that means more chapters for you guys).  
> Enjoy! ^_^

When Charlie’s screams and cries of pain had finally stopped Lilith felt she could finally breathe a little easier.

Before Charlie wanted to transition to the water Lilith did everything she could up to that point to comfort her daughter. Breathing through the pain with her, helping hold the nitrous oxide gas mask to her face when Alastor wasn’t already doing it, and letting her daughter simply cry in her arms, all while trying to not burst into tears herself.

But all of that was surprisingly easier compared to having to wait just outside the bathroom door in her daughter’s bedroom as she anxiously paced, frequently leaving the room to answer her husband’s constant calls. The horned demoness was glad that he stayed back at the palace, she knew that he would dissolve into a puddle of a mess if he heard the sounds coming from the other side of that door, or even worse. Not knowing what to do with himself would target his frustrations at their daughter’s boyfriend for “doing this to their sweet apple pie”. So yes, she was glad he opted to stay home.

Her pacing stopped upon seeing the bathroom door open and Alastor emerging from behind it. What she saw made her want to instantly bolt into the bathroom.

The red demon’s clothes were soaked in patches of blotchy crimson; however, instead of darting past him she stopped in front of him, deciding it was best not to go against her daughter’s wishes despite the anxiety beginning to bubble over within her. “What the hell happened in there?! Is Charlie okay?” The horned demoness asked him, but he wasn’t even able to answer her question before she started calling out towards the door he had just shut. “Charlie, honey are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I’m actually doing a lot better, Mom.” Charlie’s voice, although very tired sounding, relieved Lilith’s anxiety immensely.

“Terribly sorry for giving you such a fright, Lilith, please excuse the current state of my attire.” He said nonchalantly, like he didn’t currently look like he just exited from a crime scene. “She’s actually doing quite swell in there and should be out soon after she’s done with the doctor. ”

It was then that Lilith noticed that he was carrying something in his arms. Something that moved just underneath the fabric of the towel as he readjusted the bundle in his arms before continuing. “Could you possibly do me a favor and look after Rosalie while we wrap things up in there? ”

“Rosalie?” Lilith questioned, not even realizing that her hands were already reaching for the small bundle.

It took a few moments for her brain to register the new weight and warmth in her arms, realizing she was holding the newborn. She didn’t even acknowledge that Alastor had already quickly retrieved Charlie’s robe and pajamas, leaving the Queen alone with the infant to be at Charlie’s side. 

The tears that Lilith held back for daughter’s sake finally spilled over as she got a better look at her granddaughter. The demoness smiled through her tears as a pair of eyes that were very similar to her husband’s and daughter’s stared up at her.

“Hi, Rosalie. Aren’t you a little cutie, angel-face.” She cooed as she headed towards the bed, wiping her tears away, deciding to dress the baby in something warmer and drier than the damp towel she was currently swaddled in. 

As perfect timing would have it, there was a small knock at the door. “Do you guys need any more towels or anything?” Nifty called out as she poked her head inside the bedroom. The little cyclops’s pupil narrowed and she gasped before zipping over, dumping the clean towels she had brought with her onto the bed as she jumped up. “Good golly is that her? She’s so tiny! Look at her wittle ears! Can I hold her?” She excitedly asked.

“Only if you stop jumping on the bed.” Lilith stated sternly at the hyper demoness as she grabbed one of the clean towels.

“Oh, sorry.” Nifty apologized as she plopped down and folded her legs underneath her skirt.

After Nifty sat down Lilith went to work swaddling the infant in the clean towel. Her granddaughter was not too pleased about being unwrapped from her warm cocoon as Lilith attempted to dry her pink ears and hair, all while the little girl flailed her small limbs and let out little whimpered cries at the tall demoness.

“I know, I know, sweetheart. Just please bear with me for a moment.” She said as she finished patting her dry before swaddling her in a dry, clean towel. The whimpers stopped as Lilith sat down on the bed with the baby girl in her arms.

Nifty scooted closer next to the Queen as she peered over from her spot. “Can I hold her?” The cyclops asked, much more calmly this time compared to a few moments ago.

Lilith was hesitant at first, but gently lowered her granddaughter into the short demoness’s arms, instructing her to support the baby’s head and how to properly cradle her. Once she felt certain Nifty had a handle on it, she got up from her spot to go retrieve the infant some clothes and a diaper. The horned demoness bubbled with excitement as she retrieved the adorable polka dot onesie she had brought for her grandbaby, just one of several outfits.

Just then, her phone rang.

“My darkest star, I know it hasn’t been that long since I’ve called, but is everything going okay over there? Is our little honey crisp okay? Should I head over?” Her husband rambled in her ear through the phone.

She turned her phone on speaker before placing it on her daughter’s nightstand.

“No need to be worried, angel-face.” Lilith stated as she took the infant back into her arms from Nifty before laying the baby back down on the bed to change her. “Everything couldn’t be better over here.” She said to Lucifer before turning her attention back to her granddaughter. “I have so many outfits for you to wear. You’re going to be the most stylish demoness in all of Hell.” Lilith cooed as she began to unwrap the towel, the baby already protesting again when the cool air hit her bare skin.

“Is-is that-“

“Yes, it is! And honey, she’s so adorable. You should really head over here soon- Oh! And can you bring those two suitcases I’ve left in our bedroom?”

“Her ears are so soft!” Nifty interrupted as she readjusted herself on the bed, laying on her stomach near the baby’s head as she petted the fawn’s ears. “Only when Alastor is in a good mood does he ever let me pet his.”

“I thought you took two suitcases with you already? Are you staying there for a week or a few months? And did I just hear that she has deer ears?” Lucifer’s voice questioned through the speaker.

“Well….” Lilith started as she finished placing a diaper on the newborn, thankful that the ones she had purchased were for imp babies, so granddaughter’s tail wouldn’t be squished. “She does resemble Alastor a little, but honey, you’ll just absolutely fall in love with her when you see her face. She reminds me of the day our Charlotte was born. Was that really over a hundred and fifty years ago?” Lilith began to ramble, feeling quite emotional, tears beginning to prick her eyes again as she finished dressing the fawn in the colorful onesie, cradling her back into her arms. The newborn became no longer fussy as she cuddled into Lilith’s warm embrace, comfortably snug. “Like I said, I think you’re going to absolutely love her.” The horned demoness beamed as she sat back down.

“If she looks so much like him I wouldn’t be too certain about that, dear.” Her husband scoffed. 

+++++++++++++++

“Aren’t you adorable little Luci-loo, yes you are, yes you are.” The King of Hell shamelessly cooed at the sleeping baby in his arms while he rocked her in the rocking chair that had been brought in from the nursery along with a few other extra chairs that were much needed in Charlie’s bedroom.

A bedroom that was steadily becoming more cramped with so many demons visiting and overcrowding the space, Charlie noted as she glanced around her room from her spot on her clean bed. Her mother sitting at the end of the bed with Razzle happily sitting in her lap while Dazzle lay comfortably near the rocking chair, her boyfriend, now in a less bloody outfit, chatted with her mom as he sat next to her, Nifty could be heard from the bathroom, scrubbing away at what could be considered a horror movie set, and Vaggie, Lily, and Husk were due to arrive at any moment with a cart full of dinner from the kitchen for everyone.

Charlie was quite glad Mimzy and Rosie didn’t plan on stopping by until tomorrow, but that wasn’t what she was most glad about. What she was most glad about was how fond her dad was over her daughter, already coming up with a strange nickname originating from the fawn’s middle name, Lucinda, that Charlie had chosen for her. Although, she was fairly surprised that her father was focusing on the middle name honoring him and not on his granddaughter’s surname. A last name which Charlie decided she wanted her daughter to have.

Carlon.

Alastor’s last name.

However, someone did pick up on that, but she was holding her tongue about the matter.

For Lilith, this was even more of a reason for those two to get married, especially for Rosalie’s sake and now that she was here. But she knew that this wasn’t the right time to speak her opinion about it. Not when she had just gained back her daughter’s trust and was staying at the hotel to help out for the next week. So, for now she planned to keep her thoughts about it to herself.

“Anybody order room service?” Vaggie joked as she entered the room, holding the door open for Lily and Husk who were close behind her pushing in the cart full of a variety of dishes.

Charlie was quite surprised, yet relieved when she didn’t see a certain brown furred she-wolf trailing behind them.

When they were allowing their friends to come in and visit she was expecting Tammy to be the first visitor, something she was finding herself actually dreading, but much to Charlie’s relief she hadn’t shown up. Out of curiosity, she asked Lily if she knew where the demoness was. Apparently, after Charlie’s incident of screaming and cursing like an unholy banshee in the dining room; some of which those profanities being directed at Tammy for trying to encroach on boundaries again, the she-wolf turned tail and hadn’t been seen since. Hearing that made Charlie feel slightly guilty for unintentionally scaring the demoness off and she planned to talk things out with her the next time she saw her; however, the uneasy feeling in her gut, seeming more amplified as of lately, suggested that she should keep her distance from Tammy. 

“Why don’t I take her off your hands, so you can eat with everyone else, grandpa?” Alastor offered Lucifer as he stood up before reaching for the infant.

“Call me “grandpa” again and you can enjoy the view of my study until the end of time as a severed head.” The King of Hell said with a smile as he handed his granddaughter to the red demon.

“Duly noted.” Alastor stated, his usual Cheshire grin un-faltered in the slightest by Lucifer’s semi-empty threat.

“Luci, knock it off and come get something to eat.” Lilith scolded as she rolled her eyes while she grabbed a plate of food for herself and Charlie.

“You don’t want to eat?” Charlie asked her boyfriend with some concern. “You know there’s a bassinet right there, I think she’ll survive not being held for ten minutes.”

“I’m not quite in the mood for it but don’t worry, dear, I’ll eat later.” He reassured her as he readjusted Rosalie in his arms. Although he didn’t show it, his stomach was still in knots from the evening’s earlier events and was still slowly relaxing. Plus, it was an excuse to hold his daughter since Charlie’s parents were quick to fawn over their new family member.

Upon hearing the familiar voice one of the newborn’s ears pivoted towards the noise as she stirred lazily from her slumber. Her eyes opened halfway as she tried to focus on the tall man’s face; however, still feeling drowsy due to a full stomach and the nice warmth of the arms holding her, she quickly fell back asleep as she clutched a tiny fistful of his shirt.

When Charlie saw the cute scene she slyly reached for her phone as she munched on her food, pretending to be more focused on dinner to not give herself away as she snapped a few pictures on her phone. 

_He’ll thank me later._

As she hid her phone under her comforter she realized that someone else, who she actually wanted to be there, was missing.

“Hey Husk, you haven’t of happened to see Angel have you?”

“That dipshit? He’s hol’d up pretty tight in his room.” The cat demon remarked as he bit into his sandwich. “Even offered him a free drink and he still wouldn’t fuck’n budge.”

“We even offered him a plate of food when we walked by his door and he still didn’t come out.” Lily added after she went up to the bathroom door to see if Nifty wanted to join them for dinner. 

“Yeah it’s pretty strange. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him pass up on free stuff…..free anything for that matter.” Vaggie noted. 

+++++++++++++++

As much as she loved having everyone together in one small space, Charlie couldn’t be happier to finally have her bedroom to herself again. Although, she wasn’t completely alone.

She gently brushed her fingers through Rosalie’s pink hair and soft, fawn ears while the infant suckled. The blonde demoness was finding her second attempt at breastfeeding a little easier compared to her slightly painful and awkward first attempt, her left nipple still sore from the improper latching but at least her daughter was fed right after birth.

_Oh well_ , she thought as she caressed one of Rosalie’s velvety, pinned back ears, _at least we’re learning this together_. It was then that Charlie noticed something strange near her hand as she was supporting the baby’s back.

“Alastor! Get in here!”

Barely even a second after she called out for him he was already materialized in her room, only a mere second ago getting ready for bed in the now spotless bathroom. And it showed as he manifested from his shadow wearing only his red plaid pajama pants and no shirt, white toothpaste foam in the corner of his mouth. “What!? What is it?” He frantically questioned his girlfriend.

“Look at these happy deer tail wags!” She excitedly pointed at their daughter’s tail moving in quick little side to side motions as she fed. “Does yours do this too when you’re happy?” She curiously beamed at him.

“…..”

He gave her an annoyed look as he wiped away the drying toothpaste from the side of his mouth, but his muscles relaxed as he felt relief wash over. “I’m not answering that.” He said as he turned around to finish brushing his daggers for teeth.

When he had turned around, revealing the rather large gauze pad on his back, Charlie’s feelings of giddiness over discovering her daughter’s cute quirk quickly dashed away.

She hadn’t realized that she had used him like a scratching post earlier that evening and felt terrible every time she saw it. The first time she saw his massacred back, freshly painted red and still oozing, she apologized profusely non-stop for a good ten minutes, all while he had his shadow clean and patch him up, not wanting the doctor to touch him, as he told her that they’ll heal or they’ll at least be unnoticeable among the rest of his scars. Even though he reassured her that it was fine, she couldn’t help but not feel fine about it. 

She was taken out of her thoughts when she noticed that Rosalie was done feeding. Charlie readjusted her tank top and the corner of her robe before carefully placing the infant’s head on the burping rag on her shoulder, gently patting the newborn’s back. Once she was certain that there were no more air bubbles she was about to get up and try rocking her daughter to sleep in the rocking chair but stopped when she heard a distant knock coming from her door that lead out into the hallway.

“Who is it?” She called out, not feeling too enthused about the sudden visitor, wanting nothing more than to get a few hours of sleep before Rosalie’s next feeding.

“I-It’s Angel. Can-can I come in?”

She was not expecting him at this hour but was kind of glad that it was him at the door, even though the shaky tone in his voice had her worried. And when he entered her room it only confirmed what she already knew.

Both of his eyes appeared a bit puffy and the fluff on his face, along with the sleeves of his hoodie, were damp.

Upon hearing Angel enter the room, Alastor had emerged from the bathroom; fully clothed this time.

There were a few seconds of stretched out silence as Angel stood near the bedroom door for a moment before speaking. “I know I said sorry not too long after…….it happened, but I really-“

“Close your head before I close it for you.” The crackling feedback of a tuning radio heavily reverberated in the red demon’s words. He had been doing a fairly swell job keeping his powers well contained for the past few hours; save for a few….well several, radios and stereos throughout Pentagram City that had “mysteriously” spontaneously combusted after being briefly turned on, playing undistinguishable, otherworldly whispers and screams before exploding. So yes, he had been doing a pretty damn good job reeling in his powers; however, he was getting close to his breaking point.

“What?” The spider demon asked. 

“I don’t want to hear it nor do I care to hear it.” Alastor firmly stated before going back into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Charlie couldn’t blame Alastor for snubbing Angel the way he did. She didn’t know if he forgave Angel in the slightest, or ever would…..most likely not, she thought to herself as she readjusted the sleeping newborn in her arms. But she did know that he claimed to have moved on from what happened. The demoness also knew that she wasn’t the only one exhausted. It must have been tiring keeping himself in check while he watched her lose control and cry out in pain for hours. She could understand why he didn’t want to deal with Angel right now.

“Angel, why don’t you come sit over here.” Charlie called out to him as she patted the empty spot on the bed next to her. She watched him hesitate for a moment before slowly taking her up on her offer. Once he was seated next to her she asked, “Would you like to hold her?”

She took his quiet head nods as a yes before placing her daughter into one of his sets of arms.

Rosalie slightly whimpered as she was moved out of her mother’s arms and into the limby stranger’s, grasping onto one of his hoodie’s strings.

“Hopefully, you’ll be getting that back.” Charlie joked as she attempted to loosen Rosalie’s hold. “Babies have such strong grasping reflexes.” But she stopped when she felt an unexpected drop on her hand. She didn’t even need to look up at his face before knowing that she needed to grab a few tissues from her bedside table, handing them into one of his free hands.

“C-Charlie, I’m so so sorry, toots! You’ve done so much shit for me and- and I’m just a lousy fucking freeloader who just screws everything up and hurts everyone. I-I’m a sorry excuse for a friend who does nothin’ but cause ya grief and-and-and…” He blubbered as he blotted the tissues to his face, trying to keep up with the nonstop tears that he was surprised were flowing so much.

“I know, I know.” Charlie soothed as she leaned against his shoulder, making sure his tears didn’t land on Rosalie as she let him cry it out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s notes: I would like to thank another Charlastor writer, and overall a wonderful person and a joy to interact with, MuseValentine. Thank you Muse for allowing me to use the surname ‘Carlon’ for my fic <3 
> 
> Go check out Muse’s 1920’s AU Charlastor fic ‘Smiling Man’ and/or check out the fun/funny posts she tweets out on her account @MuseVlt. I promise you that her fic is the bee’s knees and you’ll have a swell time ^_^ 
> 
> Announcement: ‘A Collection of My Favorite Song’ is currently being translated for Portuguese speaking readers and the first chapter should be posted soon. Thank you Jujuba @JujubaPistola for your translation work <3
> 
> Additional Author’s notes:  
> \- I wonder who’s going to spoil Rose more, Al or Lucifer?
> 
> \- Nifty giving off some big sister vibes and I’m living for it. 
> 
> \- I think I have an unhealthy obsession with deer tails, but in my defense they’re just too damn cute.
> 
> \- I hope I gave you all diabetes because next chapters coming up ain’t gonna be so sweet. 
> 
> \- My Twitter account LateNightLurker @LateLurker


	21. Rockabye (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.
> 
> Author’s Note: This was fic was initially going to end at Chapter 28; however, the ideas kept coming and I realized ending at Chapter 28 would just be rushing the story. So I hope you guys are all for a longer, more fleshed out story. And before this chapter starts, I just want to say thank you all for your patience with my slow-typing ass that nitpicks every sentence, y’all mean a lot to me whether you comment every chapter or just merely lurkin’. Please enjoy Rockabye Part 1 of this two-parter.

The demoness yawned as she tiredly reached for one of the glass cups in the hotel’s kitchen cupboard, trying to think of what she wanted to reheat for a late lunch.

As she reached up she made sure to keep one hand on Rosalie, still a little unsure if she tied the baby sling right; however, the fawn seemed quite comfortable as she snoozed against Charlie’s chest, feeling satisfied.

It had been almost two weeks since Rosalie’s birth and Charlie couldn’t have felt prouder of herself for figuring out most of the infant’s cues to what she needed. Her favorite cues currently a tie between when Rosalie showed she was happy and when she suddenly got hungry while someone else was holding her. As much as she loved her daughter’s content deer tail wags; a trait she had yet to see Alastor display, she found it absolutely hilarious every time Rosalie began to show signs that she was ready to eat whenever the infant’s father, grandparents, surrogate aunts or uncles held her; especially Angel. Charlie couldn’t help but let out a soft snort as she poured herself some apple juice, remembering handing Rosalie to Angel so she could take a shower in peace. And when she returned thirty minutes later she found Angel cracking up on her living room couch as he laughed, “What are ya doin’ there, Miss Rosie-posie? That’s not food ya goof!”, his chest floof completely slobbered on and a frustrated Rosalie close to tears with her mouth full of fur.

Charlie let out another yawn as she absentmindedly stroked one of the fawn’s pinned back ears before opening one of the refrigerators.

She couldn’t be more grateful for the spider demon’s help and how good he was caring for the newborn- _how good everyone has been caring for us_ , she noted as she looked down with a smile at her daughter. Whenever Charlie needed a break there was always another adult nearby who was more than happy to take over. She needed a quick shower or time for herself- Angel was there to step in, during the first week when she was still dealing with postpartum contractions- Lilith couldn’t be happier to snuggle with her granddaughter and dress her in a new outfit, and when she desperately needed a nap after not getting much sleep from late night feedings- Alastor took over the parental care, despite not getting much sleep himself.

_That man is ridiculous_ , she thought while trying to decide if she wanted last night’s stew or the jambalaya her boyfriend made yesterday.

While they tried to split the childcare equally between each other and the other demons wanting to pitch in, it was no secret that Charlie was currently Rose’s primary caregiver. It just couldn’t be helped; she was the newborn’s main food source at the moment and didn’t plan to bottle feed until her milk supply was more established and Rose was a little bigger. But besides the feeding duties Alastor cared for his daughter’s other important needs, especially at night since during the day he wasn’t technically on paternity leave and was helping Lily run the hotel while Charlie recovered from the birth and was still adjusting caring for an infant.

It was nice that he was making sure the hotel was still up and running while she was taking a temporary leave. However, she made sure it was Lily; and occasionally Vaggie when the moth demoness was helping out, who were mainly in contact with the hotel residents and were in charge of rehabilitation.

As much as she loved that ridiculous deer man and couldn’t be more grateful for how much he’s done for her, she would rather not have him completely in charge of her dream; especially since they knew what the other thought about the possibility of redeeming a sinner. So he remained busy with his usual hotel duties of maintaining and tracking the finances, paperwork, and contracts; in addition to now assisting Lily here and there and helping Charlie care for their two-week-old daughter.

With how much he was doing, and then some, she certainly believed that he urgently needed a break. 

And that’s what he was currently doing that afternoon; taking some time for himself after she had reassured him that she had a handle on everything.

She was kind of hoping that he would use that time to go get some extra hours of sleep, but instead he was out of the hotel, and Charlie would rather not think what he considered an appropriate way to “unwind”.

The demoness blankly stared at her food with glazed over eyes as she gradually brought the bowl of jambalaya sitting on the counter to a low simmer just by simply having her fingertips lightly in contact with the side of the bowl, letting her hellfire do the rest. Her other hand she kept on the sleeping fawn, even though Tammy had reassured her that the baby sling she made for her was extremely sturdy and safe.

_What am ‘I going to do about Tammy? Should I do anything?_

Despite Tammy coming forward the day after Rosalie was born and apologizing for overstepping her boundaries again, acting surprisingly very chill, Charlie still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling the she-wolf gave her. The demoness’s apology was certainly sincere, Charlie even felt like it was and even apologized herself for horribly snapping at her the day before. She should have been happy that Tammy was sorry for her behavior and was wanting to be another helping hand to care for the infant, right?

But she wasn’t.

Charlie could confidently leave her daughter with anyone of her family members or friends, walking out of the room knowing Rosalie was safe and being cared for; however, that was not the same feelings she had about Tammy.

Was she going crazy again? Just like the missing ultrasound photos fiasco, was sleep deprivation making her lose her mind? How could this woman, who had no violence or murder in her background and was always so sweet to everyone, make the demoness feel like she swallowed bricks of lead for breakfast, unable to leave the room whenever she allowed the she-wolf to hold her child.

Maybe she was going crazy.

Nobody else seemed the least bit concerned; hell, even Rosalie’s body language remained relaxed, but then again, it seemed like she didn’t care who held her as long as she was fed and dry.

Charlie found her unjustified feelings kind of ironic in a way. She had no real validation that Tammy would do anything intentionally harmful towards her daughter, or toward anyone else for that matter, all while she felt assured leaving her newborn in the care of demons with well known, long running reputations for violence and murder. 

As she placed her bowl of hot food next to her drink on the dining table she thought to herself, _is this level of concern healthy? Is it even reasonable?_

She was broken out of her train of thought when a familiar gruff voice sitting beside her asked, “I don’t think the little lady would appreciate havin’ hot food dripped on her. Ya want me ta hold her while ya eat?”

She thanked him as she handed the fawn to the fluffy cat demon, taking her daughter out of the sling due to him refusing to wear the “fucking ridiculous contraption” as he took the now awake infant into his arms while Charlie took a seat in the chair next to him.

Husk tried to redirect his focus on his game of Solitaire, but he found it quite difficult as a pair of doe eyes curiously stared up at him, little hands gently tugging on his fur as she occasionally broke her stare to follow his flicking tail. It also didn’t fucking help that another pair of doe eyes were staring at him as well.

“Awe! Look at you playing nice with the kitty-cat, uncle Husk is so soft and fluffy isn’t he?”

“Shut up and just eat your damn slop.” He grumbled. “And stop trying to fuck’n pet me! Am’ I some sort of clown to you too?” He questioned as he swatted Charlie’s hand away.

“Sorry, I was just kidding, and you know I don’t think you’re a clown.” She apologized as she turned back to her food. “But I do think you’re soft.” She teased before blowing on a steaming spoonful of spiced rice and vegetables.

His only response to that was an undecipherable grumble accompanied by a few agitated flicks from his tail.

The only sounds for the next couple of minutes were the scrapping noises between Charlie’s spoon and bowl, the movement of cards against the wooden table, and the occasional squeak from Rosalie as she continued observing the fascinating creature holding her. And Charlie wouldn’t have minded continuing to share this mutual silence but was surprised when he broke the quiet.

“I’m actually surprised yer alone, where did everyone else up and go to?”

“Well, Al’s currently out of the hotel-“

“Gave him the day off? Why, aren’t you a nice boss.” He joked.

“Hardy-har-har. You know better than anyone else that no one’s the boss of that man.”

_Ya sure about that Charlie?_ Husk thought, deciding to keep it to himself as he moved his queen of hearts.

“And Angel- well, he’s currently out job hunting.” She continued.

“He lookin’ to shoot another porn video or crawl back to his mafia family or somethin’?”

The demoness took a sip of her juice before answering him. “Actually, no. He said he wanted to find, and I quote “honest work”.”

The sound of moving cards stopped.

“You shittn’ me or something?”

“Nope.”

“Huh, well I’ll be damned.” He said as he readjusted the fawn in his arm, taking a few moments for his brain to try to process that unexpected tidbit of information before remembering another demon.

“So where’s Tammy today?”

“There’s an arts and crafts class going on right now that I have her in charge of; she seems pretty happy about teaching, so I might have her permanently run a few baking and craft activities a week.”

The cat demon merely responded with a confirmed grunt as he went back to his one-man card game.

When she had first allowed Tammy to hold her daughter, the brewing anxiety within in her lead to her suddenly blurting out to the she-wolf if she wanted to be in charge of a cooking or craft lesson at the hotel since she seemed to have an interest and talent in those areas. Happily, the canine demoness accepted the offer- much to Charlie’s relief. And apparently Tammy was doing a pretty good job, all of the feedback from the other hotel residence being positive, everyone seeming to like her quite a bit. 

“You work with and hang out with Tammy occasionally, what do you think of her?” Charlie asked him as she stirred the last remains of her meal in her bowl.

“I like her okay. Not much of a card player, but she can whip up a decent pecan pie and her knitted crafts are pretty nice. Overall, seems like a pretty sweet gal.”

_Maybe it is just me_ …, she thought as she glanced down at Rosalie, who was still staring in awe at the cat demon as she continued to tug on his fur.

“-however,” he continued, “I don’t know how to fuckin’ put it into words, but I guess the best way to put it is that she’s just a little overbearing sometimes. Like she’s trying to be everyone’s mom. It’s nice feeling so cared for……until a certain point, then it’s just too damn annoying. So, there’s my answer. Nice, but fuckin’ annoying.”

Now Charlie really didn’t know to feel better or worse about her feelings. The others weren’t picking up on anything insidious, so she should feel better, right? Maybe a couple of hours of some much-needed sleep would help. It was probably a stupid idea to suggest to Alastor to go take a break today, especially since her mom left a few days ago to get ready for her upcoming tour, Angel was currently out in Pentagram City looking for a job, Nifty was busy tackling a mess on the thirteenth floor, and her goat demons were currently assisting Lily since it was only her managing the hotel this afternoon.

“Why ya askin’?”

“No reason really, just curious.” She stated before another yawn escaped from her. “Hey, Husk?”

“Ya?” He grumbled.

“Have you drank today?”

“Nothin’ since last night.”

“Since she’s probably not going to sleep anytime soon, can you play with Rose for a while?” Charlie asked him as she picked up her dirty dishes from the table while getting up from her chair, deciding that maybe some sleep would clear her mind and help her think clearly. “I think I’m going to go lay down for a little bit.”

“Yeah, go ahead and go take a nap. I can watch the kiddo, but there better be some fine Everclear tonight. None of that cheap booze Al supplies.” He bargained, actually quite surprised but happy when she accepted his deal.

It wouldn’t be his first time watching his surrogate niece. He was actually quite fond of kids and couldn’t wait until Rosalie was older so he could show her some card tricks and a few magic acts someday. Even though she was little right now he did enjoy looking after her, the only drawback being that he wasn’t allowed to drink before or while he watched her. He didn’t want to drink around the kiddo anyway but had even more of an incentive not to since he didn’t want to face Al’s wrath. He would rather not be turned into a skinned cat rug for the smiling bastard’s office. 

Feeling like her daughter was in good hands she left the dining room to go place her dirty dishes in the sink before heading to her room.

+++++++++++++++

They loomed over her like heavy thunderclouds; big, bulky, and ready to downpour upon her at any moment. Always there as their ominous thundering cracked across her conscious, ready to burst open, usually during the worst possible times. And when they finally did downpour, flooding her mind, she would nearly drown in the storm.

_‘You are nothin’ more than a useless, tweakn’ meth head.’_

_‘A junkie and a bitch.’_

_Hush, I’m clean now_ , she threw back at the sloshing, angry thoughts.

_‘But for how long this time?’_

She was having such a good day so far, so why was she still having these thoughts? Maybe it was because it was about time to re-dye her fur again, she thought, acknowledging the black roots beginning to make their appearance already. Like ugly weeds poking their heads through her soul, reminding her of her death.

Adding further fuel to the fire was that she currently found herself alone, her craft class just ending as she walked down the hallway by herself, carrying a box of craft supplies to her room, a stitched winged horse on top of the box.

The little pink plushie was part of her demonstration, working on it here and there while she had lead the lesson. And she was proud how cute it turned out; another present she intended to gift to Rose.

The she-wolf was kind of sad she didn’t see the infant that much. Sure, she was overjoyed when Charlie gave her the opportunity to teach and help nurture skills within some of the other residence, but she was finding herself missing the little pumpkin. She reminded her so much of when…of when Marcus was born. 

_‘Oh sweet-thing, don’t you know? Don’t cha’ remember? Everything will always be taken from you.’_

Now that really made it really hard to ignore the crackling storm.

_I’m gitten pretty darn tired of this! Just leave me alone…please…just please leave me alone…I don’t want to think about what happened anymore_ , she pleaded, the murky waters close to spilling over onto the fur of her face as she entered the lobby.

But then, she saw a little island of refuge.

+++++++++++++++

Charlie groggily stirred from her nap as her alarm on her phone rang out, slowly getting her slippers on while wishing she could go back to bed but knew that she needed to go retrieve Rosalie from Husk. While heading downstairs she was kind of surprised that he didn’t already come and wake her from her nap. It was just around the two-hour mark since Rose’s last feeding, so she was expecting the fawn to be giving the cat demon some trouble by now.

As soon as she reached the lobby floor she began to head towards the dining room but stopped upon seeing the winged demon chatting with a couple other residence, a bottle of beer in his claws.

She was immediately overcome with the feeling of outrage as she was prepared to verbally tear into him for drinking when he said he could watch the infant; however, the heat of her rage instantly froze over when the all too familiar sensation of lead in her stomach returned as she approached Husk, expecting him to be holding her daughter in his other arm when he turned around.

But Rosalie wasn’t there.

+++++++++++++++

She continued to gently sing as she rocked the whimpering newborn cradled in her embrace. The warmth and weight in her arms keeping the metaphorical storm in her mind at bay, the action soothing herself rather than the fawn, who was wiggling quite a bit against Tammy, just minutes away from wailing due to overstimulation and hunger.

_♪_ _♫ You are my sunshine  
My only sunshine  
You make me happy  
When skies are gray_ _♪_ _♫_

It was almost like she wasn’t sitting on her bed at the Hazbin Hotel, but rather, back at the NICU in Alabama, barely twenty-one years old as she hummed the same song to her son, one of her hands stroking his sweet little face through one of the holes in the NICU incubator.

He was so tiny. The doctors telling her that he was considered a preemie and needed to stay in the hospital a little longer due to his low birth weight and having some “respiratory distress”, which was evident with the ventilator he was hooked up to, helping his small chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm.

_♪_ _♫ You'll never know, dear  
How much I love you  
Please don't take my sunshine away_ _♪_ _♫_

She continued to sing the tune, pushing away the dark, rumbling thoughts encroaching into her mind, whispering to her that that God was going to take him away too, just like he did with Nana and Pawpaw, punishing her for all of her wicked deeds.

_‘Think you can just keep running away? Keep hiding? Continue sweeping things under the rug and think everything is going to be just fine and dandy? Don’t cha’ know, sweet-thing? The Lord has already deemed you as an unredeemable bitch, and no matter how hard you try He’s just going to keep punishing you.’_

She watched as her newborn lightly grasped her finger, his blue eyes staring back into her green ones through the glass of the incubator keeping him warm, she barely noticed the two figures walking into the room.

_‘And even if He doesn’t take him away, those bitches from CPS will.’_

_♪_ _♫The other night, dear  
As I lay sleeping  
I dreamed I held you in my arms  
When I awoke, dear  
I was mistaken  
And I hung my head and cried_ _♪_ _♫_

_Hush, no they won’t. They’re just coming in right now to check on us_ , she threw back at her own paranoid anxiety; however, she feared that her own worries might be right as one of the figures reached for her son, threatening to take him away.

Out of fear and anger, she snapped at the figure.

+++++++++++++++

Husk was not expecting for the usually kind and sweet she-wolf to nearly take Charlie’s hand clean off, finding Charlie to be extremely lucky that she had pulled her hand away before Tammy’s snapping jaws could take a bite out of her. To say that he was speechless was an understatement as he stared at the feral canine snarling at them, her sharp fangs bared and her stance crouched with intent to maul them if they took one step closer.

He may have been initially surprised and found her to be quite frightening at the moment, but he had been in enough bar fights that he felt quite confident to take her on; hell, even Charlie on her own could easily outmatch the bitch. But there was one complication with fighting with the feral creature head on.

She still had Rose in her claws; however, from what this crazed woman was screeching at them, it sounded like she was confusing the infant for someone else.

“Don’t take my son! He’s all that I have left! Don’t take Marcus away from me, I beg of you please!” The she-wolf pleaded, tightening her already painful grasp on the wailing newborn.

After the initial shock of one of her own patients nearly sinking their teeth into her quickly wore off, she immediately tried to think of how to get her daughter out of the she-wolf’s grasp in one piece. Should she try to fight Tammy head on? Could she snap Tammy out of her current state if she tried reasoning with her? Should she call for help? Who would be the best help in this kind of situation? She wanted to call Alastor, but of course that idiot didn’t carry a cellphone on him. Would his presence even help the situation, or would he make it even worse? Should she send Husk to go get him or anyone else? 

But her thoughts were halted when the sounds of her daughter’s wails began sounding more strangled and compressed, worsening her panic as she realized that Tammy’s tight grasp was crushing the infant.

The other quick-paced, jumbled thoughts were replaced with one terrifying thought. If the she-wolf crushed Rosalie to death, would the little fawn come back? Was her soul even well-established in this world to be able to come back?

“NO, TAMMY, PLEASE STOP! LET HER GO!” Charlie screamed in horror as she ignored Tammy’s previous growls and snapping jaws as she rushed forward instead.

What followed was only the tiny wails of Rosalie, her cries sounding less strangled as the she-wolf loosened her hold as she stood there in disbelief with her head turned and pain radiating from her snout.

“Her name is Rosalie, not Marcus. _She_ is not your son….and right now you’re hurting her. Please give me back my daughter.” The demoness spoke softly as she reached into the she-wolf’s loosening arms, retrieving the wailing little girl.

Husk watched on as Tammy stood there stiff as a wooden plank for a second after the infant was taken away from her, seeming to be coming out of her trance. He was just about to tackle the bitch to the ground, planning to hold her in place until they decided what to do with her; however, he was instructed not to as Charlie told him to let her go as she pulled her phone out of her robe, trying to soothe her daughter as she got Dr. Vex on the line, paying no attention to the wolf demoness bolting out of the room and past the severely singed door that had been broken clean off its hinges.

+++++++++++++++

“Well isn’t this just shit luck?” The spider demon grumbled to himself as he took another drag from his cigarette, tapping the softly glowing ash off the end with one of his right hands as he exhaled, holding Fat Nuggets in one of his left arms.

He had encouraged his little buddy to go run around outside of the side of the hotel, preferring his pet to not inhale his secondhand smoke; however, the small pig eagerly wanted to be held, sensing that his best friend had a really rough day today.

And boy did Angel have a rough day today.

Every establishment or business he walked into merely laughed him out or thought he was there to offer his “ _services”_. His street reputation, once free advertisement for his previous _business,_ was now hindering his ability to find legal, non-sex related or mafia related work. In all honesty, he found how most of the denizens of Hell viewed him to be quite disheartening to say the least.

“I think I’ve officially won the crappiest day award.” He sighed as he dropped his cigarette butt, stamping it out with his boot. Not even a second later, he jumped as the door to the side of the hotel swung open.

The spider demon panicked for a moment as he yelled a combination between “I swear I can explain!” and “Fuck off, Alastor!”, worried that it was Charlie or Al. One wouldn’t be too happy about him smoking on the hotel’s premise, while the other one would be trying to turn Fat Nuggets into some horrid bacon cuisine. But when he saw that it wasn’t either one of them, he relaxed as he saw it was just the annoying mutt.“...Oh, it’s just you.” He sighed with relief, his words seeming to grab her attention as her head snapped towards him, not realizing there was someone there at first.

When he saw her face he was not expecting to see a mess of snot and tears running down her fluffy fur. He wasn’t exactly friends with the demoness; however, the sorry state she looked to be in tugged at his heartstrings. He pushed aside the small pity party he had scheduled for himself as he asked her, “Ya need someone to talk to?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Well I hope you guys don’t hate me too much for the stressful scene between Tammy and Charlie. But damn it Alastor, you old fashioned moron! Learn to get with the times and get a frick’n cellphone already.
> 
> Additional Author’s Notes:  
> \- I need to search for it, but I’m pretty sure it’s still canon that Husk adores kids and really likes performing magic tricks for them.
> 
> \- I was going to include Tammy’s backstory in Ch. 21; however, that would make this chapter just way too long.
> 
> \- RIP Tammy. I don’t think Al is going to be too happy about her harming a child (even it wasn’t intentional), let alone that child she harmed being his own daughter.


	22. Rockabye (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Greetings and salutations, sinners! I’m not dead and I apologize that this update wait was three weeks long. Things going on in my personal life and the fact that this is a sad chapter to write didn’t help my procrastination. Luckily, the next chapter will be easier to write as the narrative focuses back on Charlie and Alastor near the end of it with a less depressing tone. Without further ado, I give you the long awaited for Chapter 22. 
> 
> WARNING: HEAVY MENTIONS OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE 
> 
> All characters besides my OCs belong to Vivziepop. Please support her original work.

_She was glad to have taken Nana’s offer to braid her hair before they hopped into the old pickup truck, keeping her brown locks from tangling as warm summer air raced by as they drove; their destination the creek a few miles down the road, perfect afternoon plans for a blisteringly humid August afternoon._

_Tammy hummed the tune of the instrumental part of the song coming from the truck’s radio while she stuck her hand out of the window, diving her hand up and down, experimenting with the wind’s resistance. The young girl thought of nothing in particular, except maybe if she brought a big enough bucket for the amount of crawdads she was planning to catch, and thinking about the fact that she wasn’t looking forward to back-to-school shopping tomorrow, her first day of eighth grade starting in two weeks. The girl didn’t realize that a scowl was starting to form on her thin face._

_The song soon entered its next verse as Frankie Valli’s voice erupted through the truck’s speakers, Nana singing to the tune, uplifting Tammy’s frown into a smile._

_♪_ _♫I love you, baby  
And if it's quite alright_ _♪_ _♫_

_“Come on, Tam-Tam! You know the lyrics.” Nana coaxed, but her granddaughter didn’t need to be persuaded, happily adding her voice to Nana’s favorite song._

_  
_ _♪_ _♫I need you, baby  
To warm the lonely night  
I love you, baby  
Trust in me when I say_ _♪_ _♫_

_It was such a vibrant and lighthearted song with so many wonderful memories like that one, so why did it have to make her heart feel so heavy remembering it barely a year later? Tammy questioned herself as she kept hitting the replay button on her iPod, the tune coming from her headphones, spurning melancholy within her as she sat outside on the steps of the funeral home._

_She just wanted to be alone, finding the sorrowful faces of her grandparents’ friends and out-of-town relatives looking down on her with pity to be too much. Finding herself especially wanting to get away from the shriveled husk of a woman with the strange, unkempt man who acted like he wanted to be anywhere else._

_Tammy found the woman’s presence to be as ugly as homemade sin. The two of them may have shared the same face; however, she wanted nothing to do with that flaky, sunken-eyed, skeleton of a woman who was never around; always with a different boyfriend and didn’t seem like she was all there._

_Now she decided to show up? Not once visiting even after Nana’s cancer was diagnosed terminal. Or even one phone call during her final days in hospice care. Could the woman not even be bothered to even see if Tammy was handling everything okay? But now that they were burying Nana six feet under she decided to show up?_

_This was why she never called that selfish, promise breaking, high-out-of-her-mind, unmaternal, deadbeat woman “mom”._

_She brought her knees closer to her chest, curling in on herself even more as she increased the volume._

_It was Nana and Pawpaw who were raisin’ her anyway. If she had to call anyone “mom” it would be the person who she was currently wearing this stupid, itchy, black dress for._

_♪_ _♫Oh, pretty baby  
Don't bring me down, I pray  
Oh, pretty baby  
Now that I've found you, stay_ _♪_ _♫_

_Why couldn’t Nana of stayed? Why did she have to get so miserably sick and suffer so much? Why did her and Pawpaw have to lose her?_

_“Why did you have to take her, God?” The girl whispered out loud before looking up at the painfully happy, bright blue sky, mocking the dark clouds beginning to rumble within her. But of course, there was no answer as she watched the soft, puffy clouds lazily drift by._

+++++++++++++++

“So, you’re upset about your grandma croaking and your mom choosin’ drugs over you your whole life?” Angel interrupted as he flicked the ash off his second smoke of the day, making sure the ash didn’t drift over to Fat Nugget. The small pig currently enjoying the extra belly rubs he was receiving as he laid on his back in between the two sitting demons.

Tammy’s amber eyes never left Pentagram City’s blood red sky as she took another puff of her own burning cigarette, the restless thoughts in her head telling her that she was a goner and an unredeemable bitch anyway, so why the hell not indulge in one last bad habit?

“Why thanks for pointing it out, sugah’. When ya summarize it that way it certainly makes me feel better.” The she-wolf sarcastically sniffled as she wiped another stray tear off her cheek before it could leave a wet mark among the myriad of wet blotches on her fur.

“Oh, don’t sour your grits over my two cents.” The spider demon remarked as he scratched Fat Nugget’s stomach, his hands anxiously looking for something to do in an effort to keep himself focused. He honestly wanted to try to help her, _better than moping around about my own shitty problems_ , he thought. The only problem was that she was beating around the bush quite a bit as to why she was so upset, frustrating his (rudely) blunt self. He had to think of a way to get to the center of her problems so he could figure out the best way to help her. “Although, I have to say, it would be admittedly hard on anyone to go through that shit. Is this what you’ve been refusing to speak with your therapist about?”

Her eyes tore away from Pentagram City’s skyline as she looked at him in confusion. “H-How did you know about that? Did Charlie tell you?”

“Toots? Naw,” he shrugged, “she’s way too fuckin’ strict on “client-patient confidentiality” to do that.”

“Then how did you know?”

He took another slow drag from his smoke before answering. “Mmmh, let’s just say when I first arrived here as patient zero I made sure to get quite acquainted with my new place.” _How about a secret for a secret? That’ll do the trick_ , he thought. “Ya wouldn’t believe the amount of secret rooms and passageways this place has.” He widely grinned at her as he gestured toward the hotel. “One might even find themselves in a certain secret room where all of the patient files are and an ass-load of other interestin’ shit. But that will be our little secret.” He winked at her before continuing. “So, are dead Nanas and bad moms the reason why you busted out of the hotel’s side exit door covered in snot and tears like someone squished your damn puppy?”

She winced at his ironically bad choice of words as she redirected her gaze to the burning tip on her smoke, the light of its orange embers reflecting the flames in her own eyes. “N-no….that’s not everything.”

+++++++++++++++

_The large bonfire crackled and popped, its smoke swirling high into the late Georgia fall air, the blaze keeping her warm. However, she didn’t need the flames to keep her toasty as she snuggled into her boyfriend’s side, her own personal heater._

_“When should I start takin’ ya back home, sweet-thing?” Billy asked her as he pulled her in closer, ignoring the antics of his buddies as they began drunkenly singing ‘Red Solo Cup’ to the strum of an old guitar, out of tune and sloshing their beer everywhere. “I don’t need your old man givin’ me trouble again.”_

_“Paw can wait.” Tammy declared as she slurred her words before taking another swig of her own red cup, enjoying the burn as it went down, deafening the storm._

_When she was with Billy, the thoughts tended not to be as bothersome, becoming quieter. It was pretty obvious that she couldn’t hear them over the late-night partying, filling her brain with alcohol, nicotine, and pot. It was an escape, a way to hide and flee without going anywhere. From what she was escaping from she wasn’t certain. All she was certain about was that Billy supplied her with what she needed. Access to beer, the best parties, joints, sex, and freedom._

_The only problem was Pawpaw._

_He didn’t particularly like her boyfriend; opposed to the seven-year age gap, his granddaughter only seventeen years old and still in high school. It was making her worried that he was going to scare off her escape route. And why should she listen to that old stick-in-the-mud anyway? For cryin’ out loud, she was practically an adult damnit! But now that she was dating someone who provided her something that made her feel happy he suddenly wanted to be a parent to her again?_

_After four years of seeing him become more withdrawn, watching him slink away every night to his bedroom after heating a quick TV dinner instead of teaching her an old family cooking or baking recipe like he used to._

_Making her feel all alone._

_It was no surprise that she would rather be anywhere else, finding comfort, not in the young man’s brilliant blue eyes, but rather the quid pro quo dynamic they had going on._

_However, eventually she would have to return “home”. Usually sneaking back in through a window or try to be as quiet as possible entering the backdoor, expecting the house to be pitch-black and deathly silent….but she was not expecting what she came home to that night._

_Tammy was not expecting the older man to be sitting out on the front porch waiting for her, shotgun in hand as he slowly rocked back and forth on the porch swing, making Billy take off down the road as soon as she stepped out of his vehicle, nearly getting hit with dirt and debris from his tires._

_“What in tarnation do you think you’re doin’, young lady?” Paw asked her, the motion of the porch swing immediately halting as she walked up the steps._

_When she turned to properly face him, she was taken aback a bit when she got a good look at his face, the glow from the porch light making every wrinkle deeper and his graying hair more strikingly prominent where the light hit._

_He looked so terribly old, older than his actual age of fifty-eight. But that was surprisingly the second detail she noticed, the first being that he didn’t have his usual stubble that she had grown accustomed to over the last four years. She wasn’t expecting his face to be so clean shaven like it was when she was little, although, now it looked more haunting to her on his aging face, sobering her up quickly._

_“Goin’ to bed.” The girl simply responded with a shrug as she made her way towards the door._

_But before she could reach for the handle a hand had quickly reached out and beat her to it. The voice belonging to that hand asking her, “And where have you been?”_

_“It doesn’t matter. Now would ya please move your hand off the door so I can go to bed.” She scowled down at him as he glared back up at her, keeping his hand outstretched and on the door from where he sat._

_“Doesn’t matter?” He scoffed back at her. “As long as you’re livin’ under my roof it sure as hell does matter. Now you better tell me where you ran off to and what you’ve been doin’. I’m sick and tired of the sneakin’ around crap and you tryin’ ta hide everything. This ends tonight, Tam-Tam.”_

_“Oh so now you’re interested in what the fuck I’m doin’.” She harshly bit back as she stood her ground, even as he stood up to his full height._

_“Watch your language, young lady.”_

_“No, I won’t. Now move. You’re in my way.” She glared at him, practically baring her teeth, not caring that she was behaving like a total bitch._

_“I wasn’t kiddin’ when I said this ends tonight. The last thing that needs ta happen is you ending up like your mama. Playin’ hooky, sneakin’ off, and doin’ God knows what. I don’t give a hoot what you believe in anymore, but you’re going to church tomorrow. There’s people there, good people, that want to try to help you, Tam-Tam. I don’t know why-”_

_She stopped listening to him after hearing that second sentence, clenching her fists as she barked at him, venomous words dripping out of her that she would deeply regret forever. “Hush your stupid, jabbern’ mouth! I ain’t nothin’ like that bitch. And you ain’t tellin’ me what I can and can’t do, Marcus! You ain’t my daddy, and you sure as hell ain’t the boss of me! Now move!”_

_“Tam-Tam-“ He spoke, much quieter and in a tone of confusion as she swatted his hand away from the door surprisingly easily as she ran inside, not caring if he was going to follow her or not._

_But he didn’t follow her……and when dawn arrived a few hours later, she understood why._

_‘Look what’cha did, Tam-Tam. He’s finally out of the way. Ya killed him.’_

_The voice hissed in her ear as it coiled around her mind, but its presence felt like it was coiling around her throat instead as her eyes widened, surveying the scene before her._

+++++++++++++++

“I-I found him. Slumped o-over and stiff on the porch swing.” Tammy managed to blurt out as her eyes pricked with tears again, the tightness returning to her throat. “The c-coroner said it was b-because of a h-heart attack…..b-but I think he died-d of a b-broken heart. I killed him.” Her last sentence barely squeaked out as a whisper as she curled in on herself, dropping her cigarette, head in between her knees as she sobbed.

_Oh sweet pole-dancin’ Jesus, what do I say to not make the situation worse?_ Angel thought as he sat there uncomfortably, unsure if he should place one of his hands on her shoulder or not. Luckily, the small pig laying in between them noticed when the hands on his belly pulled away. Wanting the pets to continue he rolled over to the closest body next to him, rubbing his face and snout into the rough material of jeans, begging for attention.

She jumped slightly at the sudden pressure on her leg, having forgotten the small animal’s existence while sinking further into the blackened storm clouds.

When she had jumped in surprise it had led to her posture to slightly uncoil, giving the pig an opportunity to wiggle himself onto her lap, uncoiling herself even more to accommodate the plump animal.

“Fat Nugget, you attention whore, get off her.” The spider demon scowled at his pet as he reached for him. “Excuse him, he’s been more fuckin’ needy over the last couple weeks.” He apologized.

“I-It’s perfectly alright.” Tammy stated, allowing Fat Nugget to get comfortable in her lap as she petted him behind his floppy ears, the pig refusing Angel to pick him up.

“Pig-headed brat.” Angel mumbled, going back to finishing his smoke as he allowed his pet to remain where he was. 

The silence between them felt like it stretched uncomfortably long, unsure where to go from there before one of the demons spoke up.

“Look, mu- babes.” He quickly corrected himself as he crumbled the silence between them. “You didn’t kill your gramps; good ole’ coronary artery disease did. It was just shitty timing. That’s all.”

“But it felt like I caused it to happen.” She responded, keeping her eyes down towards the occupant in her lap, but her voice sounded less small and squeaky.

“Naw, I don’t think ya got that much power.” He stated as he dropped his cigarette butt to the ground next to his previous one. “You were just a dumb, rebellious kid that said some shitty things at a really shitty time.” Angel said as he finally placed one of his hands on her shoulder, causing her to look at him. “I’m sure he knows that too and forgives ya.” Suddenly he got an idea. “Where is the old man anyway? I’m sure we can find him around here somewhere.”

“He’s not here.” She mumbled quickly before looking back down, busying herself petting the potbelly pig.

The demon merely responded with ”oh” as he took his hand off her shoulder, all excitement dashed away as he wished he had another pack of smokes. “Is this all that you want to talk about?” He asked, not allowing silence to uncomfortably sink in again.

With the pressure and warmth from the plump occupant on her lap and the surprising, but not unwelcomed, aid from someone who she thought didn’t like her, she continued on.

+++++++++++++++

_The next two and a half years were a blur. Nothing more than an undecipherable mesh of mind-orgasming highs and suffering-through-hell lows with some numbness in between after shortly turning eighteen, moving into Billy’s trailer, miles away from the nearest town, dropping out of high school and helping with her boyfriend’s “business”._

_It was never a secret to her what he did for a living, hell, that’s how she got her alcohol, nicotine, and THC fixes…..but she had never tried some of the “harder stuff”._

_Well, that is until the nasty thoughts in her head became too much that not even her usual fixes could temporarily shut them up anymore._

_What followed was a smudge on the timeline of her mortal life, full of intense partying, drug dealing, meth labs, and binges of different types of substances. Running away and hiding from everything and nothing._

_The drugs made her feel good, so she should be happy, right?_

_Billy made her feel good, so she should feel somewhat content being with him, right?_

_She was finally able to escape from her own feelings, so she should no longer be hurtin’, right?_

_Tammy fully believed she would exist the rest of her life in that fog; however, the haze seemed to start dispersing on a warm spring day as she began to chop some onions next to the small FM radio that had been spared from making their “usual products”. While taking the onions apart into rings, getting them ready for the fryer, she began to hum the familiar tune drifting from the speakers, the melody seeming to creep memories into her drugged-hazed mind out of nowhere._

_♪_ _♫You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off of you  
You'd be like heaven to touch  
I wanna hold you so much_ _♪_ _♫_

_Without realizing it, she began to slowly swing her scrawny hips that were barely holding up her jeans to the imaginary beat, her humming growing a little louder._

_♪_ _♫At long last, love has arrived  
And I thank God I'm alive  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off of you_ _♪_ _♫_

_But before she could start getting really into the music she found herself running to the other side of the trailer, barely making it to the toilet as green bile painfully brought her fully out of the fog._

+++++++++++++++

“Lemme take a quick guess.” Angel interrupted again. “You found out you were preggo.”

“With my son, Marcus. Yes.” She stated as she lazily petted the napping pig in her lap.

Feeling curious he asked. “So, how did baby daddy take the news?”

“……I never told him.”

+++++++++++++++

_‘The apple didn't fall far from the tree, did it, sweet-thing? Hmm? Looks like little Tam-Tam grew up rotten.’_

_The voice, now fully awakened and seeming out for vengeance, mocked her as she got a good look of herself in the dirty bathroom mirror, mortified at the familiar face staring back at her._

_Her face had always been thin, but now it was horribly gaunt and sunken-eyed, her entire appearance nearly a doppelganger of that skeleton of a woman._

_Tammy hugged her emaciated frame as she stood frozen on the filthy bathroom tiles, unable to tear away from her ugly as homemade sin reflection._

_‘Would ya look at that! Tam-Tam has become a selfish, promise breaking, high-out-of-her-mind, unmaternal, deadbeat woman. That poor, unlucky child.’_

_She heard it nastily sing in her ears as it made her look at the three positive pregnancy tests on the off-white, cracked sink. The young woman felt like she couldn’t do anything but stand there as the horrible realization hit her. Her unwanted thoughts making it loud and clear who she was now and what her future was going to be._

_Unable to take its taunting any longer she forcibly tore herself away from the ugly face and rushed out of the bathroom and into her and Billy’s shared bedroom, not taking a moment to hesitate as she grabbed what she believed she would need. Once she packed the most essential of her belongings she flew out of the trailer like a bat out of hell, not caring to lock the door behind her or leave a note behind, never to return again._

+++++++++++++++

“So, ya just left? Just like that?”

“In that state of mind it felt like the best option at the time.” The she-wolf quietly stated, seeming much more relaxed as she leaned her back against the building. “I don’t remember how, but I somehow managed to find myself at a women’s shelter in Alabama. Nice group of people runnin’ the place; bless their hearts. They helped me get clean, helped me get a job at a small ma-and-pop diner, and even threw me a baby shower.” She mentioned while staring off into the distance, seeming to be getting lost in another memory. “It was the CPS people that didn’t take a liken to me. Don’t blame them though.” Tammy said with a shrug as she looked back down to the pig in her lap, who was content with the ear scratches she was giving him. “I was tweakin’ so bad and looked downright awful. I wouldn’t trust that kind of person either. But,” she continued, her voice a little less quiet, “I proved them wrong. I tried my damndest to get clean and start a new life……and it was a good life….until the world went to shit.”

+++++++++++++++

_Her new life was full of shifts at the diner, the work friends she made commenting on how she was the “mom friend” of the group, despite her age, with how she made sure everyone was taken care of and the maternal demeaner she had developed over the last five years; while the rest of her time was booked with taking care of her little boy._

_The job of parenting didn’t come with wages or monetary benefits; however, to her, warm hugs, scribbled art, good night kisses, joyful laughter, and “I love you mommy” were worth more to her than any paycheck._

_Furthermore, her son kept the nasty voices away._

_She rarely heard the annoying or awful thoughts as she kept herself busy with her day to day life, keeping herself in the here and now. Focusing on moving forward and not dwelling on a past that she would rather forget._

_Staying busy also kept the constant urges to run back to old habits at bay; especially when she felt overwhelmed and stressed._

_Tammy thought- no, believed- that this was how her life was going to continue; how it should be with raising Marcus and having a job she loved going to everyday……but the world quickly changed._

_Without going into too much detail, she lost her job due to the restaurant permanently closing down, unable to support itself with the extreme loss of revenue a worldwide pandemic had caused, the job market and economy went down the toilet, making it very difficult for her to find a job that could support her and her boy, her son couldn’t go to preschool for the time being as all schools shutdown, and the streets became a very dangerous place at night with looting and riots, her country on the brink of a possible civil war._

_2020 and 2021 were awful times for everyone._

_As things got worse and her savings drying up by the day, she had to make a choice._

_‘Love is such a sickeningly sweet thing….but it ain’t gonna keep a roof over yer head or yer stomach fed.’_

_The choice she had on her mind…..was whether or not to cook a specialty of hers that she hadn’t made in years, planning to sell it to try to make some extra money to feed them both and to pay their bills. For months she was absolutely against the idea, not wanting Marcus to be anywhere near it or have it anywhere near herself, worried about the temptation of it within her reach. But when the power company turned off their electricity and the landlord threatened eviction, she got to cookin’._

+++++++++++++++

“When he was fast asleep late at night or takin’ a nap, that’s when I made and sold it…..I felt like I had no choice….we were gonna lose our home and I couldn’t bother my friends who were strugglin’ just like me.” Tears brimmed her lower eyelids again, but her voice came out less strangled and she remained from curling in on herself as Fat Nugget rolled over on her lap, wanting his stomach rubbed again. It also helped that Angel kept a hand on her shoulder, making her feel more grounded and steady as she spoke, surprised that he was listening more than interrupting at this point.

“I can kind of guess how the story ends,” he said, piecing together her story with what he remembered from snooping through her files, “but you can continue if ya want, babes.”

The she-wolf was quiet for a moment before saying something he didn’t quite expect. “I remember the first time seein’ you.”

“Uh. Elaborate, please?” He asked, cocking his eyebrow.

“Well, you and Charlie more specifically; along with a few other demons handing out flyers for the hotel on the far side of the other side of the city. Ya probably don’t remember me. I was downright filthy from livin’ on the streets for two years and hadn’t dyed my fur yet.” She rambled. “Ya probably shouldn’t advertise that the Radio Demon is a co-owner of the project and that there’s contract signin’ involved. But hey,” the she-wolf shrugged, “with nothin’ left to lose, I decided to take my chances and admit myself. And you guys are the real angels here.”

He gave her another quizzical look, about to question what she meant but he didn’t need to ask anything, his unvoiced question quickly answered by her rambles.

“Ya don’t know how many times I tried killin’ myself down here. Tried gettin’ the exterminators to do it, but ya want to know what they did?” She turned her tear stained furry face toward him. “They just ignored me, mockin’ me, refusin’ to take me out of existence. I couldn’t even do it myself. Demons easily die every day down here, but when I begged for it, wantin’ to stop existin’, nearly every day….I instead was forced to keep on existin’. What an absolutely sick fuckin’ joke.” Tammy seethed, the flames in her eyes wildly flickering, not a single trace of mousiness in her voice.

“Hot damn, babes. Never expected to hear “fuck” come out of your sweet jaws. But yer right. The universe is a sick fuckin’ joke. I feel ya there, babe. Fuck shitty family, shitty drug addiction, and shitty circumstances. What else should we be givin’ the middle finger to?” He joked, trying to lighten the mood as he flipped the bird with three of his unoccupied hands.

“Fuck death.” She quickly blurted out, not expecting the mere vocalization of those two words to open up the floodgate, that wasn’t tears, she had been holding back since tumbling into Hell; accompanied by something else. That something else being fear. Fear that if she stopped now, she would never continue again. “My home burnt down due to one stupidly placed candle near a curtain drape. That I couldn’t put out because I was out cold……OD’d on my own fuckin’ supply.”

+++++++++++++++

_When she opened her eyes she was confused by the darkness that enveloped her in this echoey, hollow place with the only sensation being the cool, smooth glass underneath her feet. Her only companion being her reflection below as she traveled alone and confused in the lightless place._

_Where am’ I? How did I get here?_

_She remembered the last place she was in was her bedroom, losing conscious as the light from her cheap vanilla candle glowed in her peripheral vision. The glow reminding her of bonfires back in Georgia when she was a teenager, making her remember warm hugs and brilliant blue eyes-_

_WHERE’S MY SON?!_

_The young woman panicked, not noticing the mirror below her crumbling away as she ran through the endless darkness. But running was starting to become excruciating as her lungs began to burn. Her pace slowed down significantly as she coughed, futilely trying to suck oxygen._

_Her death rattle was the only sound she heard as she collapsed onto the mirror, her chest now feeling like something was repeatedly compressing on it before it suddenly stopped._

_And when it stopped, she didn’t realize the last of the mirror supporting her had crumbled away, dropping her into the void._

+++++++++++++++

“I-I don’t know what fuckin’ happened to my son….what happened to my baby boy…”

She could feel herself sinking through the void again, tumbling into darkness, confused and disoriented; although, she wasn’t alone this time.

The spider demon keeping her anchored was surprisingly quiet, she hadn’t noticed the pondering look on his face as an idea – a possibly stupid and brash idea – began to form, solidifying and taking shape. 

“I-I’ll be right back. Watch him for me, will ya, babes.” He said quickly as he got up, leaving Tammy and Fat Nugget alone for not even five minutes before nearly fumbling back out of the hotel’s side door, brimming with excitement as he promptly returned, a very large, strange book in his hands.

“I may not be an Overlord, but I do have sticky fingers.” He grinned a toothy smile at her.

Tammy stared at him, not fully grasping his statement as he extended one of his four hands towards her.

“Come on, babes. We’re goin’ upstairs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know below how what your thoughts are on this chapter. I accept all types of comments and I’m always trying to learn new or better ways of storytelling. Thank you for reading the story this far you wonderful readers<3
> 
> Additional Notes:  
> \- Tammy’s documents back in Chapter 16 reported that she died in the year 2021, so to make her story and death as realistic as possible I tied in what’s been happening in 2020 into the narrative. Let’s hope 2021 isn’t going to be like this as it is in this story, but on the bright side Tammy was admitted into the hotel in 2023 and we’re about to get a glimpse into what “upstairs” is like in 2023.
> 
> \- I swear I’m almost done using the song “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. But I absolutely loved that it’s evolved into something more important and accumulated so many different meanings and tones throughout the story.
> 
> \- Other important songs I listened to for creating this chapter (and for the next chapter) is “My Church”, “Sweet Tooth”, “Rockabye”, “Devils Don’t Fly”, and “I’m A Mess”. 
> 
> \- Also, instead of telling the story without any breaks like I did with Lily (it figures Charlie would let someone vent everything to her and get it all out before speaking; unlike Angel who would probably interrupt), there’s breaks where the characters are conversing in present time. Which background story telling do you guys prefer? Breaks or no breaks?
> 
> \- Is Angel’s idea incredibly stupid or incredibly genius? I guess we’ll find out. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	23. My Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Greetings and salutations sinners! Hopefully, you enjoy this short chapter. It was originally supposed to be apart of a much larger chapter, but after rearranging some scenes and wanting to write more Charlastor; I decided to release this nice surprise instead of you having to wait for my slow ass. Now let's get into the story!

Charlie gently held the small, stuffed horse plushie in her hands as she finished retelling the events that happened earlier with Tammy to her boyfriend, leaving out Husk’s involvement and finishing with Dr. Vex’s visit and what the imp had informed her.

Rosalie was going to be okay.

The poor fawn was going to be sore and possibly have a few bruises appear in the next following days, but no puncture wounds from the she-wolf’s claws, popped joints, or broken bones. And lastly, Dr. Vex informed her that even if Rosalie were….. _killed_ in that incident, something Charlie didn’t want to think about, the newborn would come back. Even though the demoness was certainly relieved with that snippet of news, she would rather deal with a sore baby rather than her daughter experience death and regeneration. Rosalie wouldn’t remember dying, but Charlie would. And she was glad to be spared from possibly living through that morbid nightmare and trying to figure out what to do with her daughter’s left behind corpse while waiting for her to come back. Only having a bruised baby was definitely the better outcome.

Alastor listened as he sat on the edge of Charlie’s bed, the same side where the infant’s bassinet was situated. His posture was surprisingly calm and relaxed as his gloved fingers ever so tenderly stroked through the fawn’s short, pink locks and fluffy ears as she slept, applying gentle pressure to spots on her deer ears that he knew would feel comforting.

As Charlie continued talking she assumed he was taking it well by the look of his demeaner and absent static noise as she glanced back down to the animal plushie. However, what she had failed to notice was the lack of shadows around the red demon and what his eyes were conveying. Oh his eyes. The windows to his utterly wretched soul that were only the true indicators to what Alastor was really feeling.

Unbridled rage and a fierce appetite for murder.

The unexpected carnage outing he had earlier with his favorite gal pal Rosie now didn’t feel nearly as satisfying, the only difference now being that he had a certain target in mind and a distinct motive. He almost had his girlfriend’s voice completely tuned out as he thought of various methods for how he was going to break that miserable hellhound when his shadows found her; make her dance and dangle while begging for mercy before cutting her down with the end of an angel’s blade.

“I think this is my chance to finally get through to her.” The demoness stated as she squeezed the horse plushie close to her chest. “To finally get her to properly follow through with getting help.”

The Radio Demon tuned back into the conversation upon hearing those words.

“Dear, I admire your absurdly high optimism; truly something to marvel at, but must I remind you that demons are lost causes?” He questioned her as his hand retreated from the bassinet, the newborn quietly whimpering in her slumber from the lost of comforting contact.

This was when Charlie got a really good look at his eyes in her dimly lit bedroom; bottomless pits of pooling, murky blood water that would be crackling with white noise if they could reverberate sound. And they probably would, but his usual radio frequency and tuning quirks were strangely silent; worry sneaking its way into the demoness as she saw his usual Cheshire smile curl wickedly at the ends of his grin.

“Al, do I need to remind you that _you_ are not in charge of punishing the patients?” She calmly questioned back, feeling more worried rather than uneasy. It was no mystery to her where this disturbing aura was coming from. Before the demoness could tell him that she understood his feelings and that he had every right to be angry about the situation, he suddenly outpoured his rage-fueled opinion.

“Oh, but this goes beyond punishing a _patient_.” He said the last word almost mockingly, the bed slightly creaking as he slowly pushed his weight off of it, standing up to his full height.

“Alastor, please, I know you’re upset,” she confessed while stepping closer to him, “but we need to do this my way. And that can’t happen with you trying to be the judge, prosecutor, and executioner.” Charlie said, glancing down again to the handmade toy in her hands before looking back up at her partner. “Please understand that I don’t think she intentionally wanted to hurt Rose.” 

“Darling, what I don’t understand is why you’re trying to be the defendant.” The deer demon shot back at her, remaining firm with his stance. “That feral mutt that you call a “ _patient_ ” is not the person who you should be defending. It purely baffles me how much you value them.” The sound of static could finally be heard as the lowly humming white noise accompanied the radio dials in his eyes. “Valuing that heinous coke fiend you call a friend just as much as me. And now valuing _that mutt_ just as much as Rosalie—possibly even more.”

“No, you know that’s not true.”

“Do you value your patients over your own daughter?” He continued with his spiel, striking a nerve deep within her and surfacing her own demonic form as his heavily radio filtered voice crackled. “What kind of mother are you?”

She snapped back, keeping her voice low and hushed, her horns, demonic eyes, and sharper teeth now out on display. “You think I’m not absolutely furious about this, or at her? How dare you imply that I’m a bad mom after what I just went through today. You weren’t there when Tammy nearly crushed her to death. I don’t think I could ever take another nap again, let alone leave her alone with anybody else.” He was about to point out that she was the one who persuaded him to go take a break; however, he kept tight-lipped as he watched her horns recede just as suddenly as they had appeared, her lower lip beginning to tremble. “You weren’t there to hear how pitiful and painful her cries were….I-I really did think she was going to die and not come back.” Her teeth had dulled down to their normal appearance, but her red eyes, slowly filling with tears, remained as she admitted. “I wanted you to be here so badly….I just didn’t know what to do. All I knew was that I was scared out of my mind and didn’t know who to call for help……and now our daughter is going to be a bruised banana and-and I’m a bad mom.”

His radio feedback fell quiet as he watched her silently sob into that stupid toy she had picked up from _that dog’s_ room. And the dials in his eyes faded away as well as he felt the pump in his chest wrench.

His goal certainly wasn’t to make her cry. She didn’t deserve this. The doll had cried enough over this past year as it is. He didn’t know why he allowed his mouth to flap over such malarkey; being a downright jerk to his sweet demon belle.

Charlie was not expecting the sudden sensation of gloved hands on her cheeks, them urging her to look up.

“Sweetheart, you’re not a bad mom.”

“Yes, I ‘am.” She spoke, her eyes avoiding looking at him.

“Charlie, look at me.” He spoke softly, radio filter severely dialed back. “You’re not a bad mom. From what you said what happened, you really did what was best in that moment.” Alastor confessed as he gently wiped away the lingering tears on her soft cheeks with his thumbs. “…..If anything I’m a bad father. I shouldn’t have left the hotel’s premise with Rose being so little.”

“No, you needed a break. You don’t believe in this hotel, but you’re running it for me anyway.” She said as she placed one of her pale hands over his gloved one, leaning more into his touch. “I shouldn’t have convinced you that I had everything under control by myself when most of my help wasn’t even available.” The demoness suddenly froze for a moment, her eyes widening and her other hand squeezing the plushie in her grasp as she remembered who her help consisted of. “If my parents see Rose’s injuries they just might forcibly shut the hotel down.” She blurted out in sudden realization.

Maybe her dad was right to question during that very uncomfortable dinner so many months ago if she could both work towards her dream of rehabilitating sinners, and raising her daughter at the hotel safely at the same time. This would only prove to him that she couldn’t do both. And although her mom supported her dream, there was the high probability that she would side with him; shutting down Hazbin for good and immediately moving Rosalie, with Charlie of course following her daughter, into the palace. 

“I don’t want to close down Hazbin. This is my dream, my life…..our home….” She spoke softly as she glanced at their daughter’s small, sleeping form before looking back up at him, gently squeezing his hand as she said something he was not expecting her to say. “But what if it’s the right thing to do.” He wasn’t able to respond to his girlfriend before she suddenly commented, “And you know it’s not true.”

“What’s not true, sweetheart?” He asked her quizzically.

“That I value my patients over you and Rosalie. They’re my people and some of them are my friends—even some of them are considered family.” She added before dropping the plushie onto the floor, freeing her other hand to gently loosen his hands from her face. “But Alastor, none of them could be placed where you and our daughter stand in my heart.” The last words nearly came out as a mumble as she hugged him tightly, squishing her tear-stained cheeks into his chest. “If-If I have to let go of Hazbin for her wellbeing, then I will.”

He didn’t know how to respond at first except to wrap his long arms around her shorter form and return the gesture of affection. He knew that she was currently under a lot of stress at the moment and not thinking straight. This would need to be a lengthy discussion to be saved for a later date, preferably not shortly after an emotionally stressful event. Then a thought occurred to him.

Did he want to close the hotel?

No. It still brought him great amusement to watch those lowly sinners try to climb themselves up the hills of betterment, only to trip and tumble down into the fiery pits of failure over, and over, and over again. Plus, keeping up the sham made Charlie happy. But was shutting the hotel’s doors really the best solution for their daughter’s wellbeing? Who knows? They were in Hell after all. And they wouldn’t be able to keep Rosalie or Charlie locked away like fairytale princesses forever. He knew Charlie would be too stubborn for that whacky nonsense for very long, and he hoped that Rosalie would be just as stubborn—hopefully not against him someday.

But he did know one thing for certain.

Not an ice cube’s chance down here would Lucifer allow him to live in the palace.

“We don’t have to discuss this right now, dear.” He said as he laid his head on top of hers, stroking her blonde locks as she pulled him in tighter into her embrace. Alastor felt relieved that he had placed the small, black box from Rosie’s Emporium in his back pocket and not his front.

He wanted to curse the small object for leading him to stay out so late; or better yet, he should of had Rosie discreetly drop off the order. But when Charlie had persuaded him earlier that day that he needed a break he figured it was the perfect time to pick up the special jewelry order; and it had been so long since he spent an afternoon with one of his favorite cannibals. And it was such a nice lunch. Snuffing out some double-crossing mongrel associates to a musical number and some choreographed dances—they made such a delightful meal. It was quite a pity they couldn’t have invited Mimzy. Besides cannibalism not being her thing, she had a rather big mouth.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt the lovely dame in his arms pull slightly away.

“Can you promise not to kill her?” She spoke up towards him, their arms still loosely around the others’ waist. “This is more than just giving her a chance; I need to know why she did what she did.”

Before he could give her an answer an inky shadow slipped into the room, informing him that they had found her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Hopefully, you guys enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to what Angel and Tammy discover upstairs and what her fate is going to be.
> 
> Additional Notes:  
> \- The song “My Eyes” is from the musical ‘Dr. Horrible’, with Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day’s characters both having different views—one sees hope and goodness while the other sees only evil and chaos. 
> 
> \- Twitter account LateNightLurker @LateLurker
> 
> \- And lastly, I just want to say thank you for all of those who support me. Whether you’re a reader on this platform or a mutual Charlastor fan on Twitter, I just want to say you’re the best. I wouldn’t continue being a part of this fandom if it wasn’t for all of the awesome, kind people in it. I can’t wait to continue this ride of a story with you all. See you in the next chapter!


	24. This Is Gospel (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously on A Collection of My Favorite Songs:
> 
> After a nearly tragic incident with Rosalie, the she-wolf Tammy breaks down and confides her troubling past with Angel. His brash decision to help Tammy leads to him stealing Alastor’s grimoire in order for them to access “upstairs”. While they are away, Alastor and Charlie struggle to come to an agreement on what they should do about Tammy in regard to her causing minor injuries to their daughter and frightening (and nearly biting) Charlie.
> 
> What will Tammy and Angel discover “upstairs”? Will Tammy finally get some answers and closure on what happened to her son? And what fate awaits the two demons when they return to Hell?

_Hours earlier…._

“Oh, shit.” The fairly tall, slim man professed as he took in the sights and sensations of a world that he didn’t realize he had been torn away from for so long. To claim that the attack on his sensory was a little jarring would be an understatement; however, this kind of “attack” wasn’t unpleasant- not in the slightest.

Trees painted with breathtaking arrays of colors, their warm-palette leaves rustling with the same cool breeze that danced along the pale, bare skin on his face and through his blonde hair felt chillingly delightful. And although the breeze was laced with early hints of winter’s oncoming arrival, the warmth of the low setting sun, peeking behind the crest of a portion of the painted trees, warmed him to his core. 

_Why haven’t I tried doin’ this shit sooner?_ He thought as he continued staring at a mere section of his surroundings in awe. But the feeling quickly fleeted after he thoughtlessly took a stumbly step backwards, his back hitting bone-chilling, hard granite.

 _Oh, shit…._ The thought hit the disguised demon hard as he turned around, noticing that beyond the cold mausoleum before him was rows upon rows of cold headstone after cold headstone. 

He knew—they both knew—that this would be a plausible possibility. It was a topic well discussed before casting the search and illusion spells, and well before jumping through the portal that would lead them to the unknown location of Tammy’s son. Then another thought hit him as he quickly realized that she wasn’t next to him anymore.

++++++++++++++

She couldn’t exactly figure out when, but time seemed to have mysteriously slowed down within a practically undetectable instant. From the leaves dancing around her on their descent to the dry grass, to the fevered beating of her own heart in her chest.

It was just too good to be true. He was alive.

_Thank God he’s alive!_

A smile graced her human face as she looked across the field of stones. Tammy just couldn’t take her eyes off him, despite the sight of him leaving her weak- incapable of standing on her own, taking advantage of leaning most of her bodyweight against the large oak tree next to her, keeping her slightly hidden in the tree’s shadow- out of sight from the living.

She just wanted to hold him so much. Her baby boy was alive—and so big now.

As the disguised demon caught her bearings, she continued observing the funeral procession it appeared her son was attending…….with what appeared to be with a family.

Had he been adopted since her passing?

Immediately next to him in the fairly large group of mourners, he appeared to be with two older brothers, a little sister, a father, and…

…..a mother.

“Hey, what are ya waitin’ for? Go over there.”

The unexpected voice of Angel behind her nearly made her jump out of her human form as her head whipped around, glad she was already leaning against the tree for support; having been even more surprised, forgetting for a second that the furry, spider face she had grown accustomed to over the past year was currently replaced with the unfamiliar blonde haired man.

But her quick response surprised her the most.

“Angel, I can’t go over there.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her, shifting the heavy hocus-pocus-book-turned-satchel slung across his shoulder. “Why not? Ain’t this the whole reason why we came up here?”

She paused for a moment as she collected her thoughts, trying to figure out how to word how she was feeling. “I just can’t. Not only is it rude to disturb a funeral,” she stated before glancing away from him and back towards her boy, the stormy thoughts; which were strangely silent for once, were not the source of her discouragement or reason for her actions, “but I can’t disturb his life either.”

“What?” He questioned her in utter confusion.

“What do ya see over there, sugah’?” The brunette asked him while gesturing with her hand that wasn’t leaning up against the tree.

“Uh, a lot of fuckin’ people.” Angel answered, still not quite getting what she was getting at.

“He’s with his family.” She answered with sigh, a hint of longing in her tone. “Ya don’t know how badly I wanna to go over there. To tell him how much I love him and how sorry I ‘am. I want more than anything to be with him, to raise him, and watch him grow up.” Her voice choked up; however, no tears were shed, completely drained from earlier. “But besides the time restraint preventin’ that,” she commented as she took note of the bags forming under Angel’s eyes, the illusion spell gradually sapping the spider demon’s energy, “I can’t go over there. To him, I’m gone. And I realized that’s how it should. Without me, he has both parents that can provide for him,” she motioned over to the group again, “he has siblings, and a chance to live a better life than what I could’ve done. I just want what’s best for him.”

He followed her gaze to the funeral procession for a moment before looking back at her, her expression undecipherable to him. “Are ya sure this is _exactly_ what ya want?”

“Yes,” her voice noticeably croaked again, all the while she watched as his “mother” pulled him into her side, hugging him close as they- along with the rest of the funeral procession- began heading towards the parking lot, the burial now over, “all I want is for Marcus to be well cared for and loved….his life and happiness is what matters most to me.”

Angel found himself indescribably unsure about what to do next. Here they were, above ground and appearing visibly human- almost defying death and the natural order of life- just for this one moment. Was seeing him alive and appearing to be with a loving family really enough for the demoness? Shouldn’t she at least say “hi” or somethin’ before they leave? What would Charlie or one of her shrinks do in this situation?

While Angel contemplated, something behind him caught Tammy’s attention- almost calling out to her. She couldn’t believe she didn’t notice the dancing shimmer of light before until now.

On the other side of the cemetery, almost materializing in the distance, was a beautiful pond. The rays of the setting sun causing light to reflect and dance around the large, stone figure at its center. The honking of wild geese now seemingly audible to her as they gracefully landed around the Virgin Mary statue.

“Angel,” she looked up at him, “I know we’re a little crunched on time….. but do ya mind if we stay a little longer?”

“Yeah, it’s no problem, babes.” He answered, despite every fiber of his muscles screaming at him, the energy loss beginning to really take a toll on his body as the spell continued to drain him. The spider demon couldn’t help but wonder in that moment how Alastor seemed to manage manifesting these types of spells daily, acting like it was practically nothing.

“I promise I won’t be gone long.” The demoness stated as she walked past him, her eyes taking one last glance towards her son, watching him until the vehicle drove away.

+++++++++++++++

And just like that she was alone, feeling the coolness of the wooden bench underneath as she took a seat on one of the benches near the water while the cool autumn breeze played and tousled with her hair, the closest sounds being the obnoxious honks of the flock of geese nearby, and the sound of her own thoughts.

She gazed out towards the direction of the birds’ loud noises, but her gaze wasn’t directed at them nor the beautiful fountain pond they floated on. Instead, her eyes were directed towards the fading orange hue near the tree line, its light keeping her warm.

“I don’t know how this works or if you can hear me- wherever you are now- but if you can… I’m sorry.” The words easily escaped her, not at all feeling foolish for talking into the open air. “I’m really sorry, Pawpaw. I shouldn’t have said those awful, terrible things I said to you that night. I didn’t mean them. If I could, I would have taken them back. I would have taken everything back and realize what a horrible bitch I was bein’.” Her nails dug into her jeans as she continued, the words easily tumbling. “I would’ve realized that you were hurt too over Nana’s passing and acted the way you did because that was your way of copin’. Copin’ with your wife passing, your daughter being a junkie train wreck, and your granddaughter followin’ in her footsteps.”

She paused for a brief second, her throat felt uncomfortably dry, but she felt like she couldn’t stop now; not now knowing that this was probably the closest she would ever get to reaching heaven- the closest she would get to speaking to him again. “I forgive you. I understand if you don’t forgive me. I should have accepted yer help. Maybe then I wouldn’t have done the things I’ve done. I’ve probably ruined so many lives….. and probably ended a few.” She realized, her face downcast as she remembered back to her hazy life with Billy, and all the drugs she cooked up and sold. “I screwed up my own life, nearly killing my own son, and ruinin’ a life up here with him.”

Finally, the new wave of tears fell. “Ya don’t know how happy I ‘am to see him breathin’, Pawpaw. That he’s alive and doin’ so much better without me…..that he’s no longer in danger of me.” Tammy croaked out before opening up about what happened only a couple hours ago. “I accidently hurt someone again- who all she wanted to do was offer me help. Extended her hand towards me, and I nearly bit it clean off. And I hurt her little girl too.” She couldn’t help but look down at her hands in disgust. “I didn’t mean to do any of those things…..but I did them; those things happened. And if you were here, you would be tellin’ me to do the right thing.”

For a minute longer she continued staring towards the darkening horizon, the last rays of daylight slipping away, beginning to plunge the cemetery into darkness. And although the breeze was cool with hinted anticipation of rain, there was not a single storm cloud in sight.

+++++++++++++++

The portal quickly closed as boots and clawed canine feet touched down on soft burgundy carpet as they entered the she-wolf’s hotel room. The last of their human mirages fizzling away as unbeknownst to either fluffy demon, a silent, inky figure stirred from a dark corner of the room upon their entry before slipping away.

The spider demon was caught slightly off guard as his waist was unexpectedly squeezed in an iron clasped hug, slightly stumbling.

“Thank you so much for doing that for me, Angel.”

“No sweat, babes.” He shrugged as he waved one of his free hands, pretending as if he only gave her a lift to the grocery store and back. “I’m just happy to finally turn somebody’s day around without it horribly backfiring for once. Now, I wish I could stay,” he remarked as he slipped away from her bear hug before pointing to the grimoire he was still holding onto, “but I need to return this heavy fucker back-“ The loud sound of a stomach grumbling cut him off, “….and maybe grab a snack as well.”

“Not a bad idea, sugah’. You look bone-tired and starved.” Tammy noted as she walked towards the trunk at the end of her bed, keeping her word about doing the right thing; Angel not noticing her unlocking its heavy lid, the spider demon already heading towards the door.

“Yeah, before my organs start devouring themselves or—.”

But his sentence was quickly cut off, unable to finish as he got a good look at Tammy’s hotel door- or at least what formally used to be a door.

There was no need to grab the knob, the entrance into the hallway was wide open, the charred door completely ripped clean of its hinges and leaning up awkwardly against the wall.

He stood there, utterly dumfounded for a beat of a second, the question about the flame singed door nearly rolling off his tongue. And he would have been able to ask if it wasn’t for the sudden, hard, smack of déjà vu.

Angel believed he had been transported back to that gruesome night of nearly a year ago as a red tinted glow was casted over the room and its two occupants, while inky black shadows at the edges and corners of the room raced toward the center.

“Holy fuck!” The pornstar jumped in panic. “I’m sorry! I was just giving it ba-“

His words remained halted in his throat as a high-pitched yip was quickly heard, then silenced in tandem to the sound of a skull hitting hard metal. The sound making Angel’s gut wrench as he held onto the grimoire even tighter, an unintentional, useless shield as the inky figures enthusiastically swarmed while the tendril around the she-wolf’s ankle hoisted her limp body into the air. Crimson leaking from the wound and onto the burgundy carpet and metal trunk, one of its corners already heavily blotched in blood.

“O-Oh shit! Alastor, what the hell?!” He shakily questioned the now manifested Radio Demon, unaware that he had backed further into the red tinted room instead of towards the door.

The red demon didn’t even pay a glance towards the mortified spider. His full attention centered on the knocked out, dangling mutt as his shadow dealt with the other pest.

“What the fuck?! All over a goddamn book?!” Angel yelled at the demonic red form, not noticing small, inky shadows swarming around and in between his lanky legs as Alastor’s shadow advanced towards him, inching him closer and closer towards the unnoticed window.

“Have you lost your shit-for-brains mind?! Attacking me I get, but her? Why the fuck are you-“

His words fell on deaf ears as Alastor’s shadow mischievously smiled a demented grin at the six-limbed nuisance, the spell book safely in the dark figure’s grasp as it waved a simple gesture of “bye-bye”, taking delight in the spider’s screams, the sound quickly fading as its source fell six stories.

The Radio Demon didn’t so much as cock an ear towards the sound. His radio dial replaced pupils stayed fixed toward his prey as his antlers occupied more of the ceiling space by the second. His grin matched his shadow’s, split ear to ear and emitting a luminous, yellow glow that was harsher than normal. Its neon glow radiant enough to cast over the she-wolf and the tendril that was further encircling her body.

+++++++++++++++

“Ow! Fuckin’ asshole!” The spider painfully exclaimed as his exhausted body hit the large bushes. He was grateful that Lily had decided to do some landscaping for the hotel during her days off, even though she certainly could have made them less obnoxiously pointy.

Before he could start hypothesizing the connection between the hell-fire charred door and Alastor’s extremely pissy mood it became evident that there was a presence of another person.

“What in tarnation?!” A voice, that Angel couldn’t believe was more southernly twanged than the she-wolf’s, rung out through the night in surprise. “You okay up there?”

“Ow! Shit no!” Angel exclaimed, as he realized how much the illusion spells- not to mention falling six floors and onto a thorny bush- had put a tremendous strain on his body.

“Do ya need some help there, big fella?” The stranger asked as Angel could feel one of the stranger’s hands already grasped onto one of his limbs that was hanging over.

“Would be fuckin’ appreciated.” He said, already dragging his exhausted body over to the edge. _Fuck, I wasn’t even this wiped out when Val had me doin’ back to back shoots. What the hell is wrong with that stupid-“_

But his thoughts were abruptly halted.

Staring eye to eye with the spider demon, appeared to be a normal looking human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 coming soon....
> 
> Twitter: LateNightLurker @LateLurker


End file.
